The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-05-24
FIEND OF THE ARCTIC
Terrible Form of Mental Derange-
ment in the Yukon.
Intense Suffering of Gold PrOspec-
tors in the Mines of AIaska-Hun-
dreds Dying of Scurvy and
Starvation.

Probably the most tragic state of
affairs resulting from the attempted
rush of prospectors from Port Valdez.
Alaska, into the Yukon valley in 1898
80 has just been brought to light in
the report of Capt. w. r. Abercrom-
bic, Second United States infantry, in
charge of building the Trans-Alaskan
military trail, says western ex-
change. He says:
after an uneventful voyage of sig
days anchor was dropped at Port
Valdez, Alaska, on April 81, 1899,
about six o'clock p. m. The scene
that followed the arrival of our YES
soon forget. Crowding aboard the
steamer came the argonauts of last
seasons rush into the Copper River
valley. They now considered them.
selves full-fedged miners, although
many of them had never hand
led either pick or shovel since their
entry into the country. A more mot.
ley-looking crowd it would be hard
to imagine. Mackinaw suits of all
varieties and colors, faded and worn
by exposure to the elements and
their long journey over the Valdez
glacier from the Copper river valley.
''Tney seemed to be sadly demon
allied, and from hurried converse
ton l had with six or seven / had
known the year before I was led to
believe that hundreds were dying of
starvation and scurvy beyond the
coast range, in the Copper River val
ley Most of those then in the set
Element of Valdez had little or no
money, but Notwithstanding this fact
a wholesale orgy was inaugurated
that lasted until midnight, the cabin
and decks of the steamer giving evi.
dence of the potent influence of the
liquor on those who had INDUCED so
freely and who were now lying around
in various attitudes sleeping off the
effects. That they had passed ter
rible winter was beyond all question
of doubt.
Zone of the first men from whom l
could get an intelligent account of
the condition of things was Quarter
masters Agent Charles Brown, whose
salutation to me was: my God, cap
tain, it has been terrible! tell
you the early days OF Montana were
not marker to what I have gone
through this winter: 1t was awful
Il noticed in talking to these peo-
pie that over 70 per cent. of them
were more or less mentally deranged.
My attention was first directed to this
fact by their reference to glacial
demon One big, raw-boned Swede,
in particular, described to me how
this demon had strangled his son on
the glacier-his story being that he
had just started from Twelve-MiIe
Camp "a small collection of huts lust
across the coast range of mountains
from Valdez with his son to go to
the coast in company with some 9TH
er prospectors. When halfway up
the summit of the glacier, his son,
who was ahead of him hauling a sled,
while he was behind pushing, called
to him, saying that the demon had
attacked him ana had his arms
around his neck. The rather ran to
the sons assistance, but, as he de-
scribed it, his son, being very strong,
soon drove the demon away, and
they passed on their way up toward
the summit of Valdez glacier. The
weather was very cold, and the wind
blowing very hard, so that it made
travelling very difficult in passing over
the hatIyaan h,o
through which it was necessary to
pick their way to gain the summit.
while in the thlckest of these
crevasses the demon again appeared.
He was said to be small, heavy
built man, and very active. lie again
sprang on the sons shoulders, this
time with such a clasp that, although
the father did all he could to release
him, the son was finally strangled to
death. The old man then put the
son on the sled and brought him
down to Twelve-Mile Camp, where the
other prospectors helped him bury
him.
touring the recital of this tale the
old mans eyes would blaze, and he
would go through all the actions to
illustrate just how he fought off this
imaginary demon. When | heard this
story there were some ten or twelve
other men in the cabin, and at that
time it would not nave been safe to
dispute the theory of the existence
of this demon of the Valdez glacier,
as every man in there firmly believed
1T to be a reality. l was informed by
Mr.. Brown that this was a common
form of mental arrangement incident
to those whom fear of scurvy had
driven out over the glacier, wnere so
many had persisted by freezing to
death"