Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-15
WINTER TRIP UP THE YUKON
EXPERIENCES OF CAPT. cANTwELL's
PARTY.
Temperature Ranged From 90 to ~
: Degrees Below zero-sunered
Little From Cold.

Captain Shoemaker, chief of the revenue
cutter service, has received long letter
from Capt. j. c. Cantwelf, commanding
the revenue cutter Nunivak, which Is win
tering on the Yukon river, at the mouth
of the Dali river, near place that has
been named Fort Shoemaker The fort is
located 1000 miles from the mouth of the
Yukon river at a point where the Dali river
empties into the former Captain Can't
well gives interesting details of trip
made by party composed Of Lieutenant
Erickson and three men of the army and
Captain Cantwell and Mr.. Wheeler of the
Nunivak. Their object was to secure a
practical knowledge of life on the trail
during the winter season and to go as far
up the Yukon river prudence would die
tate. In describing the trip Captain Can't
well says:
when we started from Dali river the
temperature was mild and pleasant. In
fact, it was too warm for comforta BILE
travelling, as the temperature for a week
had been about zero, and one day it got
to be as high as ten degrees above Zero
We had two heavily loaded toboggans,
and all hands were kept hard at work get
ting them ahead. The trail was had and
in most places either covered with snow
or else overlooked with water We camped
in light drill tents for twenty-three days
and our diet consisted of beans bacon, tea
and bread of the variety known as sour
dough-no butter, no dried fruit. and, in
fact, no other foo was brought along. In
spite of the monotonous diet we enjoyed
our meals immensely.
after reaching a distance of sixty-five
miles up the river we were overtaken by a
sudden fall of temperature, and for two
weeks were compelled to lay by and do
nothing but cut wood and try to keep
warm, with the temperature ranging from
go to y degrees below zero. 1t was prob
ably the longest spell of such extremely
cold weather on record in this region. It
was not possible to avoid some discomfort.
but you would be surprised to know how
little we really suffered. / would not have
believed it possible to live in tents under
such conditions. We all had our faces
by falling into hole In the ice We left
Erickson and his topographer in camp at
Beaver creek on the 22d of January and re-
turned to the ship. found on my return
that the cold weather had caused consider
able suffering among the natives, many Of
whom are still weak from having been sick
last summer. during the time when so many
thousands Of them were dying from the
disease that swept over the territory. The
distress was so great that the officers Of
to issue food to some Of the natives to pre-
vent them from starving. Where it was
possible to do so they were required to cut
wood as means Of paying for the food
given them.
Il shall continue to keep the natives in
food until they are able to go out hunting,
but viii be very careful not to allow them
to think they can get it without some sort
of return. At present the weather is still
extremely cold, the temperature this morn
ing being 90 degrees below zero"
capt Cantwell speaks of AZ degrees below
zero being good travelling weather, but
says that one has to keep moving to avoid
getting the hands, feet or face frozen.