New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-20
CONDITIONS AT NOME.
WARNINGS WHICH woULD-BE MINERS
SHOULD HEED.

SHOULD HEED.
Washington. May ls CspecaD.-The Senate has
had printed a document an interesting report
the conditions existing in the Cape Nome mining
district in Alaska, prepared by special agent OF
the Census Bureau, A. F. Wines Mr.. Wines was
at the Nome Auril City settlement last August
and September and describes the situation there at
the close of the mining operations. He says:
According to the usual practice in mining camps,
the residents OF the town live principally In tents
edihces in Nome. There We're at that time about
four hundred and seventy five tents and seventeen
scattered log cabins back on the tundra Beyond
beach for distance Of ten miles. The town
growing rapidly. and was scene of great activity.
of more substantial structures for the winter. Is
showed only a slight increase in the number of
tents, while there were at that date nearly two
On September and 9 made a trip down the
beach a point least five miles beyond the line
Of tents which extended for about fifteen miles.
the sand al whe $50 Sn Were n on he
S Time sO pobabR a ri m G9 5e e ks
previously when the excitement was at its height,
il may have reached 1850.
FIGURES HARD TO GET.
ess a0PE FOUR Rs5nsPs
men on the various claims. that there were about
superntendence on the rest of the creeks in the
Shd is % to Re% ny PsnE
may be scattered among the various streams and
According 10 my observation. which is
q Gafas n ns Ea
ne oTn Who does not exceed three men
put the figures oonsideTabiy higher INC oS'''' WIN
the seasons output than to estimate the size Of
the population: l give below the results Of in
It should be remembered that the tendency to
to that upon the creeks On the latter the men
r. r., possession Of claims have reasonably, secure
to boom IFS value by an e.aggeration of the out
as common property, and very small patches Of
ground: sometimes not more than ten feet square.
with Is,1o whatever a moral right may accrue:
careful to conceal the fact. for fear Of the en-
OF sT Of their a or even the loss
seSns,eTning the output is that the workers are
from moro than one hundred men, and after reduc-
Ing them TO equivalent terms find that their earn
that the true average for the whole beach would
could be sa Would a that he wss
mating $50 $50 or even s75 a day and there ,i is
nd who on occasional days took out over
1ovs i5e Mf s5ess of 5
SPEEDY RETURNS.
Transportation and Trading Company states that
to s on T the beach SrouR in at tha enS
OF three weeks These were seen by me few
than confirmed his statement, Two men showed me
lss ounces or amagam worth aeonf So an OUNCE
gust % Authentic accounts OF stin larger earnings
On the other hand there were some. unfortu-
mates who, either from lack Of skin or from poor
hardly anything: The gold on the beach is very
the the e sa easy needed by an were
scarce and difficult TO obtain at any price Boards
substitute for plates and many any rockers
of blankets or other rough cloth for catching the
IT, ,o,5 &C. M. epe,iv ds-rbuta6 +hrouebo,+ Tho
sand but lies in a thin double layer Of dark red
e0oT eneq t6s crong o of
through TIE surface but it is commonly four
must often be removed before the gold IS uncoy
cred. Even in the pay steak the distribution is
very very uneven. or, as the miners express 1t. the
edge How far it may extend under the sea
can It is also uncertain how far it runs back
pany has installed pump has begun sluieng the
a hundred feet from its t edge They state that
With three men & At the end Of their dnIv5 first
about three hours. they cleaned up $500 They ex-
operation Some of those who have prospected the
tundra ere doubtful whether gold will ever be sue
or excitement. it has been staked far back
In don to as the e roeke en oe the beach there
We're half dozen sluice boxes IN operation in
to be doing wei One Of these has been Clean
ing up $3.50 a day per man. according to report
which appears TO be authentic.
l.
A conservative estimate may be made by cal
culating that the output from the beach for this
viii be equivalent o the production from
average profit Of SIS a day. a total OF S75oGWl
Such records of the temperature kept
at Cape Nome last winter show rather more than
the ordinary Disagreement among thermometeEs.
coolest day in the district last year November
%. when the temperature fell to Sc degrees below
zero. The majority Of those who attempted to
keep a record are Of the opinion that the most
though one observer states that he experienced
weather 60 degrees. The climate Is
very moist and the effect CT the low temperature
is proportionately felt. In the summer months
clothing and other articles become quickly moulded
unless frequently dried.
The sanitary condition OF the camp at Cape Nome
is very unfavorable Nearly all the fresh water
used comes from Snake River, which is
less polluted by the camps the creeks,
before II reaches the town 1t is used a a con-
venient dumping place for Stops and sewage, as
well as a source of water supply. When the tide
IS in the water is brackish- The creeks furnish
good water, though the prevalence of malaria
be due TO the vegetable growth through which all
organized to supply the town with pure
year. II VIII be brought through iron pipes from
spring four miles distant a pressure of sew
enty pounds TO the inch. The promoters of this
fl.
The drainage of the town is poor and no attempt
has been made to improve ii artifcialy.
Most OF the people are living in crowded tents
tents have board floors raised from the ground
but more frequently the flooring consists of LAYER
Of boards or logs placed directly the ground
In many there is no flooring whatever. The con-
damp. and there is seldom sunshine enough to dry