Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-08-22
VIXEN THE ICE WENT OUT.
Summer Breaking winters Grip on
the Yukon River.

A graphic account of what winter
means in the frigid Klondike region Is
given in letter from Forty Mile as OF
May 20 This is description OF the
breakup of the Yukon river and throws
light upon the hardships that must
be endured in residence there and the
destruction and devastation which fol-
low the mighty throes of nature when
she awakens into spring.
Mr.. Nash's letter, printed in the
Brooklyn Eagle, is description of this
scene as it passed before him, and he
says:
Wood Camp on the Yukon, May 20.
Well, the Yukon broke at S:l5 a. m.
May II. One-half hour before the break
the ice looked as solid as it did in the
winter. We could see it coming, heav-
ing, grinding and pushing, while down
the river it was as solid as ever. Final
ly it all commenced to move as far as
we could see. Then the sight was grand.
High cakes of ice, six to ten feet thick,
weighing hundreds of tons, would tear
up on end, 30 to 40 feet high, and the
noise was terrific. grinding and crush
ing trees along the banks and sweeping
them away like matches. In places
where cakes of ice would strike the
banks they would pillow up high masses
of rock and earth. The ice was so solid
that it would not give, as the Yukon
broke before the ice got rotten This
was caused by the Stewart and White
rivers breaking and the large volume
of water pouring into the Yukon start
ed the breakup.
well, it ran for 25 minutes and then
stopped which was caused by a jam
below Forty Mile at an island. The
water commenced to rise very rapidly
until the river got out of its banks,
floating huge cakes of ice over the
country. There are cakes now weighing
hundreds of tons a mile from the river.
The town of Forty Mile is situated on
fiat ground. at the junction OF the Forty
Mile and Yukon rivers. We knew from
the way the river was rising that the
town would be drowned out 1t was
in sight of us and we kept watch. We
could not see the people but we could
see the ice floating around and over the
buildings. 1t kept damned and raised
the water until $50 p. m, when II
broke. Then was when we saw ice NOV
IHS. II Ildu Dlltu oil up, IdNtI dilCi
layer. during the jam, and VT could see
three stories of 10-foot ice floating down
with trees, boats, cabins and on one
cake two dogs, poor things, bowling.
After this jam started the water fell
20 feet in 80 minutes. leaving high
banks of ice along the river 20 feet in
height. That afternoon we could see
campfires and tents on the bluffs
around Forty Mile, and we knew the
town was wrecked and that the men
and women and children had to take to
the hills. The next day we went to
town and found a terrible scene of des-
olation and destruction; houses washed
away. others with sides or ends broken
out with water and ice: stores with
goods a mass of ruins. house logs. cloth
ing, trunks, provisions and every con
ceioable thing.
1T came up so fast that everybody
had to get out with just what they stood
in and some had very close call at
that The police boys and others did
some very heroic work rescuing people
from upper windows and roofs.
THE Indian missionary and wife and
five children had an exceedingly close
police and others were afraid TO 90 tc
them over the damned ice, because if ii
started while they were on it 1t was
sure death. Finally a man named Royal
and an Indian got a canoe over to them
and got them across to the high ground
in safety.
where our cabin is located is across
the Forty Mile river from the town on
much higher ground still the ice and
water got up to the cabin, but did not
run in, ours being the only occupied
cabin in the whole town that was not
flooded The big cakes of ice smashed
three boats for me, also carried away
one cache that | had my tools in, and
the water got about Is inches deep in
the cache | kept my food in, wetting IT
badly But we dried most Of it, So our
loss was very light. Some of the people
lost everything they had on earth
The trading companies losses arc
very heavy The A. c. company lost
SIS 600 the n. A. +. and I. company
lost about $4,000 But everyone takes
it good naturedly and all are eager &c
help one another We are back again tC
the wood camp, feeling first rate anc
glad to know that we witnessed the
hugest breakup ever known of the Yu
kon. and the old Indians tell MS tho
highest water ever known By four feet
{ 1t was the grandest sight | ever wit
messed and it would be we'll worth 6
/ special trip to see.