I | PAGES 1 TO 4!
VOL. 1
CHITIXA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1011.
NO. 48
The risks and tragedy of railroad
construction was brought forcibly to
wind by the cave-in accident in the
Chitina railway tunnel last Monday
morning, in which W. A. O’Neill,
John Sethers and Antone Sabate were
killed and eight other men suffered
minor injuries.
Considering the dangers and difn
culties encountered by the builders of
the railway, together with the fact
that there was no precedent in rail
way construction for the conditions
to be met and overcome, the loss of
life has been less than for any sim
ilar line ever constructed. This has
been a matter of congratulation to
the builders, the operating men and
owners, therefore, the tragedy, be
cause of its unexpectedness, proved a
•double shock to the community.
All of the men killed, as well as
those injured were well known in
both Chitina and Cordova. At the
first news of the cave in practically
the whole population of Chitina
turned out to do what was in their
power to render aid. A special was
sent from Cordova carrying General
Manager Hawkins, Superintendent
Van Cleve, and Drs. Smith and
Council.
At the inquest held in Chitina
Tuesday, it was brought out that the
accident was caused by John Sethers,
a carpenter, cutting one of the old
timbered supports and then allowing
the pressure of loose dirt from be
hind to start to slide. Dan Lee, the
foreman in charge of the carpenters,
was a short distance away measuring
timbers, and Engineer Forrester
who has general charge, was in the
open cut on the other side making
measurements. Another carpenter
near Sethers warned him not to cut
away the support, but he paid no
heed to the warning, since it was in
his way.
The carpenters have been re-tim
bering the tunnel as fast as the
muckers removed the dirt from the
old cave-in. Engineer Forrester
kept a lean-to projection of heavy
timbers- over the heads of the muck
ers for their protection against ac
cidents. Just to the rear of this
was the gang of carpenters working
on a platform, which platform was
crushed down by the weight of the
w. A. O’NEILL, dead. KlK^SviS £
JOHN SETH ERS. dead. iA-JS.IJf i
ANTONE SABATE, dead.
JOHN NELSON, bruised.
JACK BRYAN, bruised.
AUGUST Hl'BES, bruised
C. H. LIKIHES, badly bruised.
E. COLUMBIEA, bruised.
CARL JOHNSON, back hurt and internal injuries.
D. R. REEDER, arms and legs badly bruised.
CHRIS SUMQUIST, bruised about head and face.
j slide.
As soon as the accident occurred
every effort was made to rescue the
imprisoned men as quickly as pos
sible. Antone Sabate was the last
i body recovered.
! The cave-in occurred shortly after
j the men started to work this morn
; ing on the north side facing the Cop
! per river. It has been the practice i
s of Engineer Forrester, who nas
charge of the work, to place leaning
timbers ahead of the men so *hat
they were protected from falling
l'ocks and loose dirt. Carpenters
follow closely on the heels of the
muckers and timber as rapidly as
the dirt is cleared out, so that the
timbered portion is kept close to the
workmen.
Fortunately the men were buried
within a short distance of the tim
bered portion so that they were
quickly reached by the rescue force.
Engineer Forrester has all along us
ed the utmost care to see that the
timbers should always be shoved
ahead of the workmen in order to
form a protection over their heads
until the permanent timbers could
be put in place. The workmen have
been pulling down the dirt from the
old cave-in and shoveling it into
sluice boxes. Recently machinery
was installed for getting more hy
draulic force and this was ready yes
terday.
The remains of Sabate and Seth
ers were buried at Chitina. The
body of W. A. O'Neill, the foreman
in charge of the muckers, was
brought to Cordova and sent outside
on the Northwestern. Domonie Col
umbino, whose leg was fractured, was
taken to the Cordova railroad hos
pital for treatment. The other in
jured men were not hurt badly
enough to require hospital attend
ance.
Tne funeral of Mr. O’Neill, under
the auspices of the Order of Eagles
was held from Eagle Hall Thurs
day and was an impressive affair.
Practically the entire population was
in attendance, as everyone knew and
respected the deceased. Most of the
business houses closed out of re
spect to the dead.
i
Mr. O'Neill leaves a widow in .Se
attle and several sons and daughters.
Among the children are Harry O'
Neill, who is employed in S. Blum &l
Co.'s store, and caught the special
this morning for the scene of the
accident; Frank O’Neill, who arrived
on the last boat; W. F. O'Neill, who
is out on a government survey party
near Copper Center; John O’Neill, of
Renton, Wash.. Mrs. Wells, the wife
of the former insurance agent of
Cordcva. besides two daughters at
home, and two other sons. Edward
and Charley.
The deceased had pioneeied in the
Yukon and Fairbanks and in l'JOo
went to work for Geo. C. Hazelet on
the Copper River & Northwestern
grade started out of Valdez. He
came to Cordova late: and was the
foreman for all the street work per
formed by the townsite company. He
was one of those honest, open-heart
ed men who make and hold friends
and the news of his death proved a
severe shock to the community.
Frank Buell and A. McClellan are
preparing for a prospecting trip.
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
VISIT BONANZA MINE
George W. Sias, of Boston, mana
ger of the Valdez Creek Consolidated
Mining company, arrived in town and
will leave for the interior in a day
or two. He is accompanied by H. K.
Summers, of Cleveland, and J. C. Mc
Donald and Melvin L. Stiekney, of
Boston, wno are malting a trip to
this country for the purpose of look
ing over its mineral resources with a
view to investing.
Mr. Sias’ company has some good
property on Valdez creek, where de
velopment work has been carried on
■since 1903. It includes a large body
■of placer ground as well as some
promising quartz. Over $750,000 nas
already been expended and a force of
six men and three giants have been
at work. Ten more giants are to be
installed this fall, and Mr. Sias is
taking six more men with him. It is
the intention to dredge the delta next
season and the company plan on ex
pending from $100,000 to $150,000
•during the coming year.
Herman Keller, the world’s fam
ous copper expert, is in the Chitina
district making a thorough study of
the copper formation in that section.
PROMINENT OPERATOR
OX WAY TO IXSIDE
L. C. Dillman, president and gen
eral manager of the Alaska United
Copper Exploration company, ac
companied by his wife, arrived
on the first train for the interior to
visit the properties of his company.
Mr. Diuman was among the first
to send prospectors to the Copper
river valley to locate, stake ar.d nur
chase copper claims and during the
past six years has expended a vast
sum of money in the development of
these properties. The company owns
seven groups , three of which are lo
cated on Dan creek, and the Finch or
Big Horn and Porcupine groups on
Kuskulana
At present fourteen men are at
work on the Westover group on Dan
Creek, and the Finch or Big Horn
and Porcupine groups on Kuskulana.
It is the intention to continue opera
tions all winter.
Mrs. W. T. Wallace, the well
known resident of Chitina will spend
the winter in Seattle. Mrs. Wallace
has a host of friends among the rail
road boys who predict that she will
not stay away from Alaska for very
long.
Mil HOE LEASED
10 MAil OU
John Palmer, a well known rail |
road man, has leased the Chitina.
hotel from Oscar Breedman for a j
term of three years. He will as
sume charge September 1st.
Mr. Palmer will make a number;
of improvements and will spare no j
expense to make the hotel one of j
the best in this part of Alaska. He
will put in a 40-foot extension on
one end and arrange the building so
that it will also front towards the
depot. The barroom will be moved
into the new addition. The stage
office, postoffice, Newhouse store,
and restaurant will remain in their
present position, as well as the hotel
office. Billiard, pool and card tab
les w ill be placed in the present bar
room. There will also be a ladies’
parlor for the accomodation of the
wromen guests.
“X have every confidence in the
future of Chitina,” Baid Mr. Palmer
to a Chitina Leader reporter, “and
will have a hostlery which will prove
a credit to the place..
‘‘As a transfer place for the rail
and trail passenger traffic to and
from the Tanana, from Nome and all
interior sections of Alaska, the town
necessarily should be in position to
accomodate this trade. Besides, the
place is becoming a supply point and
headquarters for not only a growing
army of prospectors and mining op
erators who are opening up extensive
mines, and then too, hardly a week
passes but tourists and capitalists
visit Chitina..”
Mr. Palmer is an old timer in Alas
ka. He was with one of the first
mail pack trains running out of
Skagway. Later he worked at Sewr
ard and was employed by the Cop
per River & Northwestern railway
at Katalla and has been in the em
ploy of that company ever since un
til recently.
Oscar Breedman will hereafter de
vote all of his time to the MacCor
mac hotel. He plans making a num
ber of improvements. Among other
things hot and cold water will be in
stalled and a ladies parlor will be
added.
GETTING RFAdY
In addition to the shipments be
ing made regularly by the Bonanza
mine, there will be considerable ton
nage secured by the railroad from
otnej properties along th-s Chitina
and rributarv rivers this fall and win
ter. Nearly all of the ;Ot4>er opera
tors in that section of the country
intend to send out as much as pos
sible oi their high grade ore. Some
of this will have to h> hauled over
the vinter horse trails, and some
packed on the back of pack horses.
The Copper River & Northwestern
Railway, besides having quoted an
extremely low rate on ore from
points along its line to the Tacoma
smelter, stands ready to build spur
tracks to any of the properties
where tonnage is offered. It is un
derstood that one of the first spurs
likely to be built will be to the
Northern Development Company
mines.
The little driblets of copper to
come from these various sources tlii?
fail and winter will swell into a con
siderable volume in a short time, and
in another year or so the much ad
vertised copper district will realize
its promise.
ANOTHER SHIPPER OF
HIGH GRADE COPPER
George J. Love, accompanied by
Robert J. Gwynn, Jr., mayor of Sal
em, N. J., interested in copper prop
erties known as the McCarty group,
passed through here recently on their
j way to'Visit the property. The com
pany is known as the Alaska Con
solidated company and has claims on
Spirit Mountain and Nugget creek.
The men will examine the property
with a view of determining the
amount of money to be spent in
further opening it up so as to be
come a shipper. They expect to ship
some of the high grade ore this fall
and winter, but it will be at least an
other year before it can be opened on
any extensive scale for shipping.
Commissioner Readman, of Copper
Center, expects to soon return home.
He is very much impressed with the
resources of the Copper river ad
jacent to Copper Center and believes
that place will become an important
inland trading station in time. He
says any one who is skeptical about
agricultural resources in Alaska
should inspect what Is being raised
on farming acreage at Copper Cen
ter.
Let the Leader do your job work.
GOOD LOOKING
OUARTZ
Some samples of rock brought to
Cordova by Dr. Chase from the head
of the Kotsina, towards Mt. Wran
gell have created a sensation in min
ing circles.
It contains silver and lead and as
says over $300 to the ton in silver.
The rock is a hard, glare white
quartz streaked with dark and what
appears to be deep ultramarine blue.
The doctor traced the ledge a dist
ance of 2500 feet and put in a blast
of powder from which the present
samples were taken and he has se
cured an option on the property.
When Dr. Chase passed through
Chitina on his way there and was in
terviewed by a Chitina Leader re
porter, he would say nothing about
his mission. He carried the samples
in a pack over 30 miles, and soon
after he reached the railroad at mile
146 received a telephone about the
fatal accident at Chitina and im
mediately proceeded there without
rest or sleep.
The rich samples and the appar
ent extent of the ledge is but an
other indication of the mineral
wealth tributary to the railroad.
Even with the small amount of pros
pecting done, when the extent of the
territory to be covered is consid
ered, sensational finds have been
made which will certainly cause a
mining boom sooner or later.
POLL TAX DELINQUENTS
Upon a complaint Issued and a
warrant sworn out by Commissioner
Healy, Dick Ficken and Claude Sny
der were taken before the commis
sioner this week and fined for refus
ing to pay poll tax. It will cost
each about $30 besides the price of
the poll tax. The men claimed in
their defense that each one had hir
ed a man to perform the necessary
work for himself, but that the man
failed to show up.
NEW CONCENTRATOR FOR
THE ELLAMAR MINE
• Considerable activity is being dis
played at the Ellamar mine, where
about thirty five men are now being
employed. The oldest workings are
now pumped out to the three hun
dred foot level and it is the inten
tion to order heavier machinery up
on the arrival of Mr. L. L. Middle
camp, the superintendent. A new
concentrator will also be installed
when the large bodies of low grade
ores, the iron cappings and the dump
will be treated.
BOSTON' CAPITALISTS
OPERATE ON BIG SCALE
—
A special train arrived from Ken-,
necott last i9uuua,< u. _j
in a party of Capitalists and excur- j
sionists. Among them were C. P. j
Beresford, Maurice Cockerell, of Lon
don, C. H. Kearney and Mrs. Kear
ney, of New York, Mrs. Cresson, of
San Antonio, Texas; Murray F. Cros
sette, of Chicago; Miss Dora Keen,
and Albert Andres, of Marysville,
Cal.
Messrs. Kearney and Cockerell,
stated that they were in the north j
simply as tourists, having been on a
visit to the Westward as far as Sew
ard, and they did not care to leave:
Alaska without seeing the advertis- j
ed wonderland along the line of the
Copper River & Northwestern rail
way. They stopped off at Miles
glacier long enough to watch the
giant glaciers perform, and were pro
nounced in their praise of this mar
vel of nature.
Mr. Crossette is of the opinion
that there will be a large tourist
I travel over the line when its scenic
The Iditarod Pioneer says that
camp is threatened with a moving
picture invasion during the summer.
BILLY TIBBS TO START A
FIX 10 MINERAL DISPLAY
Realizing tnat a mineral display
- — — " haat o rlc tn
the mineralized district surrounding
Chitina, William Tibbs has started
gathering specimens.
He will have a special cabinet
built to hold the samples, and hopes,
with the co-operation of mining men,
to soon have a display which will
attract attention. Almost weekly
visiting capitalists and others seek
ing investments pass through Chili
na and eagerly look about for samp
les indicative of the mineral charac
ter of the country.
Almost every day samples of rock
are brought to Chitina by prospec
tors which would make the eyes of
chechacoes bulge with excitement.
Were enough of these gathered to
make a fairly representative dts
play, they would prove one of the
best advertising features that could
be devised for advancing the inter
ests of this part of the country.
Mr. Tibbs, realizing this, will lose
no time in getting his cabinet start
ed. The rock from each creek or
locality will be carefully labeled.
Oscar Breedman will shortly build
another addition to his hotel.
{
Jr
_
Rains in the valleys, snow in the
mountains anil the elements playing
upon the glaciers have raised the
Copper river higher than known be
fore in the memory of white man.
As a result of the high water, ten
bents of the bridge across the Cop
per river the other side of Chitina
have been washed out and the bridge
is in danger unless the high water
recedes. Cars of rock were moved
on it to help hold it down. It will
be impossible to get any trains over
the structure until it is repaired.
Above Abercrombie canyon the
Copper river forms an immense lake,
from mountain wall to mountain
wall. All of the gravel bars and
low lying places are covered with
water.
Beyond mile 67 the special which
arrived Sunday ploughed for near
ly two miles through water. Over
a part of this distance the water was
two feet above the track. All along
the face of Baird or Allen glacier
the track is practically swimming in
water. The Copper is within a foot
| of the track in many places.” Sofire
of the section camps are in water.
The spectacle of the water roaring
and tossing in great masses through
Abercrombie canyon is truly terrify
ing. From last reports today the
water is still high and it may be
several days before it will recede.
An enjoyable social dance was
held at William Tibb's place Wednes
day night.
Several housewives are busy mak
ing jelly from green cranberries. It
will be another couple of weeks be
fore the berries ripen.
The new railroad depot will be
ready for occupancy inside of an
other week.
Ai Bremner left for the hills again
on Thursday to be gone some time on
another prospecting trip.
Ed Rodee, president of the North
Star Mining company, will soon
leave for a short visit outside. He
will then return and renew work on
the tunnel already in 70 feet on thd
ledge in Abercrombie canyon.