The Alaska citizen., 1914-05-25
.0F INTEREST ID ALASkANS
STR. VIOETTE LEADS.

STR. VlOETTE LEADS.
 DAWSON. May 1S.-To the little steamer Vidette belongs the distinc- tion of having made a record trip from the foot of Lake Labarge with the seasons first over-the-lake freight and passengers. The boat arrived here yesterday, 42 hours from the lake. with 40 passengers and 50 tons of early freight. some of which was consigned to Fair banks people The actual travelling time of the Nidette was 32 hours.
 No jams or other obstacles were found at any point on the river where trouble usually is encountered by the first boats The rush of water had swept the river clear of ice and covered the shoals. so that the Vidette was able to come right through. beating the fleet of small boats to Dawson by fully eleven hours. Usually the small boats are several days ahead of the first steamer.
 The Nasutlin has arrived from the lake with the first mail of the sea 0OH DN "dltI
 The Canadian will arrive from up river sometime this week with a load of cattle for the Robert Kerr and the Schwatka The steamer al so will bring two barges of coal from the Tantalus mines. 200 miles above Dawson.
 Arrivals express the belief that Lake Labarge will break in ten days or two weeks.
 ENGINEERS ON WAY.
 SEATTLE, May 19. - Lieutenant Mears and Thomas Riggs, Jr., mem bers of the Alaska engineering com mission reached this city this after noon from the East, and will remain here during the remainder of the month, making preparations for the work they have in hand for the summer in Alaska. They will start North on June 1.
 The engineers were received by the committees from the Arctic club and the Alaska bureau of the New Seattle Chamber of Commerce, whose guests they will be during heir stay here.
 SAILING DELAYED
 DAWSON. May 19.-The sailing date of the steamer Schwatka, which will be the first boat down the riv- CT for Fairbanks, has not yet been set by the officials of the American Yukon Navigation company owing to the uncertainty of the arrival of the Canadian. which is waiting at Yukon crossing for a drove of cattle now enroute over the trail.
 It is expected that Supt. Wheeler will assign the steamers Schyatka, Alaska and Yukon to the Dawson Fairbanks run. with the steamer Panama as a summer auxiliary be tween Gibbon and Fairbanks. On the first trip out of Fairbanks, the Panama will go direct to Whitehorse and return immediately to Fairbanks with a load of early freight.
 Col. Barker, former N. N. agent at Dawson, has arrived here enroute to Ruby, where he will act as gen. eral agent for the White Pass.
 The crews of the steamers Schwat- ka, Alaska and Yukon are made up as follows: Schwatka- F. Hoel- scher, master F. Newcombe, pilot; H. Murphy. chief engineer; L. M Dow, second engineer; William Racey, mate; H. Muller, second mate; c. Hickok, purser; c. N. Finch, steward.
 Alaska-J. s. McCann, master; Il. G. Looney, pilot; J. H. Morrison. chief engineer; Seabrooke, second engineer; Thomas, mate; c. V. Goss, purser: Gus Green, steward.
 Yukon-Green, master; B. New comb, pilot; J. w. Pearson, chief engineer; J. Bowker, second eng1n- ger: G. Spaulding, mate: o. B. Steimert, second mate; George B. Sturdy, purser: James Reed, steward
 FAIRBANKS SELECTED.
 SEATTLE, May 20.-In the opin- ion of the many Northerners who are gathered in this city preparing to return to Alaska, the next two years will be the liveliest in the history of the North, not excepting the early days of the Klondike, the stampede to Nome or the banner years of Fairbanks. It is considered certain that the movement toward the territory will begin early this summer, and will increase in vol ume steadily as the work on the railroad progresses. The local hotels are filled with those who are going to Alaska, and more are ar irving daily.
 In the opinion of Thomas Riggs, Jr., one of the members of the en- gineering board, who arrived from the East last night. Fairbanks will be the Interior terminal of the rail road, no matter which route is se- lected by the administration. There is much more doubt regarding the choice of the coast terminal, said the engineer today. The selection appears at this time to rest between Seward and Portage Bay but neither Valdez nor Cordova has been elimi- mated yet and it doubtless will be late in the summer or early next spring before the matter is settled. It is considered doubtful, however, if either of those towns will be SC lected, unless it is decided to build two railroad lines to the Interior.
 Riggs states that there will be eleven survey and location parties in the field and that the work out lined will consume the entire sum- mar During the winter, the mem