The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-08-28
STORY OF DEATH CITY.
Various Routes into the Klondyke Mark
ed by tho Graves Of Those Who
Went for Gold.

SEATTLE, August aI.--rhe intense
interest created In everything pertaining
TO Alaska aud Yukon BY the advent OF
the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition.
(which will be held at Seattle In 1909,
has caused old pioneers Of the Northland
TO recall many storlc. aud Incidents OF
the stirring days OF the rush Of the gold
seekers,
No tragedy OF aucien, or modern times
OF Amegeddoa could BE- more horrible
than the story OF Death City and the
brave band that built Il As the terrible
winter ot lspIps Was falling, Il l. a
tale Of city that sprang up In few
hours, lasted season and then va.
abandoned forever, The rmaiss OF this
deserted city are situated near the camp
Headquarters Of tribe Of Yukon Indians
on the Mackenzie River in somewhat the
same latitude A. Dawson aud Fairbanks
When the news OF the kloudike dis,
coyery reached the outside world. several
hundred thousand men aud several hun.
dred women at once resolved 10 10 to
this land Of gold But At that time the
best route 10 reach the country was
matter OF fierce debate. The Nome. the
Skaguay, the Dyea. the Wrangell. the
Valdez, the Atlin. the Edmundton and
the Prince Albert route, were hercely
championed by their respective support
.crs. And as result thonsands started
In TO the Yukon by what Il uow known
as the terrible Prince Albert and III
monitor routes.
The summer OF 1897 saw thousands |
start into the unknown, Many turned |
back, maay died by the wayside and
the remainder scurvy ridden, dirty, |
hungry, hoarse with that laughter that
Ia worse than tears or Mysteries. strug-
gled along I'LL winter began to fall,
Most Of them followed the Mackenzie.
and before they started II was Under.
stood that they would meet for com.
panys sake, to spend the winter at the
highest point on the Mackenzie a tray.
eler would touch, the point at which
he turned westward to reach the Yukon,
! here party after party struggled in,
frost bitten. starving and hopeless, and
those who had arrived before and were
somewhat rested built the cabins and
tended them until their strength came
slowly back J
But the food was scarce. The cold
had driven the game away, The lack
of fresh vegetables made the acuryy
worse as the winter decpened. Day
after day the steady ring Of the picks
on the frozen ground told that one more
grave was being dug for some unfortu.
nate resident OF Death City who had
given up the struggle.
When spring came only few white
haired, gaunt old looking, stopped and
twisted men were left. Food and sup
plies were long since gone, and the dogs
had all been eaten But the lure of the
gold still beckoned and on they stag.
gcred day by day eating root. and
nceasionly managing to shoot some
game or to snare a rabbit They finally
reached the gold land~-only to find that
the Others who had gone by the Dyca
and Skagnay routes had arrived months
before and had staked all the good
ground in the camp
Some day, some survivor of Death
Jity will write the story Of that terri.
Die winter, and will tell the dark stories
That are only now whispered, of men
turning old in a single week, of women
refined and gentle who died by their