Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-11-19

passengers pleased. From now on we shall
be in the lands of the Eskimos.
1t IS at Andreafski that the delta of the
Yukon is said to begin. The country is flat.
and you can see for miles over the low grass
on both sides of the river. Far off to the
south the kusevak mountains are visible.
They lie between the Yukon and the Kus-
kokwim rivers. They are green, with gla-
clers making streaks OF white on their slopes.
Away off to the north are other green noun.
ta1ns, and between is the plaint
AS you go on from Andreafski the Yukon
widens. 1t is soon three miles from one
bank to the other. Then it branches out
into wide channels each of which is a
mouth and, where it flows into the sea.
these mouths have become a great fan 100
miles WIDE the various streams forming the
RIBS. In flood time the whole country is un-
der water. Islands grow up in a night and
new sand bars are to be seen at every vov-
age. In places the stream is so wide thar
you can see little else but vast expanse OF
:
When you get close to the shore YOU look
over grass as green and smooth as that OF
Holland, and seem to be riding by one
mighty pasture.
The government has done little to protect
the navigation OF the Yukon The only
lights on this mighty stream, with its wind
ing course, its scores of tributaries and its
thousands OF shifting sand bars and islands,
are where the river flows into the ocean.
he system all told has 1000 miles or more
OF navigable and navigated waters, and there
Is not lighthouse, buoy, nor a mark OF
any kind to aid the shipping. There are only
few buOys and light at the Apoon mouth
OF the river; and the light is only an eight
day lantern hung on pole. Some OF the
captains are accustomed to put up their own
marks to aid them in subsequent voyages.
AS we passed through the delta the captain
OF our steamer showed me a barrel living IN
the middle of a sand bar. The sand bar was
under water during the last trip. and the cap
tain had anchored the barrel there to locate
It. Since then the bar has risen above the
water and become large island with the
barrel in the middle. The captains all keep
records of each trip noting the changes and
handing their sketches over to the captains
following them up or down stream
The Yukon river is navgated from the
18th of June until the 18th of October every
year. 1t is the highway to the interior OF
Alaska, and the river should be thoroughly
plated and marked There should be gov
eminent lighthouse boat moving UP and
down it, and the marks and lights should be
changed with the course of the river, Just as
is done on the Mississippi
The traffic of the Yukon will increase with
the completion OF the railroad and the
growth OF Alaska Today there are boats
leaving every three or four days on the up
per part OF the river. and boats sail regularly
every five days from Dawson to Fairbanks
and from Fairbanks to Dawson. There arc
boats about once week from the island OF
ST. Michael in Bering sea up the Yukon to
Tanana, and from Fort Gibbon down to the
sea.
The steamers now going out OF St Mi
chael are the Alice, the Sarah, the Louise,
the Susie, the Hannah and the Julia B. The
hrst five OF these belong to the White Pass
and Yukon company The Julia b. is owned
by rival organization, known as the Amer
lean Yukon Navigation company. OF the
boats the largest are the Susie, the Sarah and
the Louise. Each is a sternwheeer of the
Mississippi type. OF about 1900 tons. She 5
225 feet long, 40 feet wide. with six-foot
draft when loaded. Her fuel is California oil
and she runs y miles an hour. The boats
are electrically lighted, and they are up-to-
date river boats of their kind. They carry
passengers and freight.