STEAMER NORTHWESTERN
RUNS AGROUND FRIDAY
Left Seattle Last Night and Meets With Accident at
San Juan Island—Olympia Takes Run Tomorrow
With Cordova Passengers and Mail.
Seattle, Dec. 2.—The steamship Northwest
ern, operated by the Alaska Steamship Com
pany between Seattle and Alaskan ports, is
aground on San Juan island.
She sailed from this port last night direct for
Coi-dova and other coast towns. Her passen
gers and mail and cargo were transferred to
the steamer Tees and reached here today.
The steamer Olympia has been billed to sail
Saturday night with the Northwestern’s pas
sengers and cargo.
The local officials state that the conditions
are favorable to saving the vessel. Immediate
steps will be taken to render whatever aid is
necessary, and unless a storm springs up, it is
believed the boat can be floated without great
effort.
San Juan island, where the vessel went
aground, is a short distance beyond the entrance
to the Straits of Juan de Fuca. The Northwest
ern as on her way to Nanimo for coal at the time
of the accident.
First-class passengers on board were: Fof
Cordova—Mesdames. Lyons, Nellie Smith, Rob
ert McNea, E. A. Roy, E. A. Hegg, A. Herman,
- Riverson, John Reidy, -Stanton.
Anna Leroy. For Valdez—James St. Marie and
wife, L. Bauman and wife, George Reed, Tom
McGowan, F. Powers, Grace Powers, Harry
Warren, J. Jess, J. Inglen. Seward—P. Ma
lone, R. Schmidt, L. Wheeler and C. David.
The local officials in Cordova did not receive
any news beyond the bare announcement that
the steamer was ashore on San Juan island.
This island is inside of the Puget Sound, near
the entrance of the Straits and between Victor
ia and Bellingham. It is in the path of steam
ers that are routed to Naniamo. It is judged
that the vessel must have gone aground about
2 o’clock this morning.
Agent Barry received notice late this after
noon that the cargo of the Northwestern would
not come north on the Olympia, sailing Satur
day, but would be taken aboard by the Alame i'
on the next sailing date from Seattle.
The Northwestern was built at Chester, Pa.,
in 1889, and her home port is Port Townsend,
Wash. She has a gross tonnage of 3,496 tons;
net, 2,334; length, 336 2-10 feet; breadth, 43 2-10
feet, and depth 22 feet. Her indicated horse
power is 2,300, and she is registered for a crew
of 80. She formerly operated on the Atlantic
coast and was brought around the Horn and
placed on the Seattle-Nome run. Her former
name was Orizado.
She but recently came off the dry dock in
Seattle, the Olympia taking her run meantime.
There has been a switch in masters lately and
it is not known here what captain was in charge
at the time of the accident. Owing to the recent
wreck of the Portland, and the large mortality
list suffered by steamers on the Alaskan run in
the past year, the news spread rapidly.
LAND HOB 60T IN HIS WORK
That the placer gold zone of the ^
Kuskokwim, as indicated by recent
strikes in the Black River region,
is limited in extent, is the belief of
S. T. Kincaid, who returned to Idit
arod a few days ago, after making
a somewhat critical examination of
the gold bearing section. Mr. Kin
caid also speaks forcibly upon the
evils of indiscriminate staking, of
which the country gives mute but un
mistakable testimony.
Outside of the Black River sec
tion and its immediate vicinity, the
formation is sandstone, with, of
course, no gold to be found. Within
the somewhat limited gold bearing
area the formation is changed to
quartz, including granite and por
phyry and it is here where the pros
pects have been found. On discov
ery claim on Snow Gulch, Larson &
Smeaton have done conscientious
work, says Mr. Kincaid. Snow Gulch
is about four miles long, and is a
tributary of Donlan creek, which in
turn is a tributary of th ? Kusko
inkwim. On discovery at the mouth
of Snowr, they have sunk three holes,
in one of which, 14 feet to bedrock,
there is five feet of five-cent dirt.
The other two holes were sunk on
the rim. on either side of the creek.
Bedrock is 12 feet deep and these
hole*'siow five feet of two-cent pay.
The sold is coarse, and is all founa
In the eravel, there being non ? found
:n bedrock. There is a heavy sedi
ment found in the gravel, something
[ike .hat found in Flat creek and
this sediment, having been deposited
before the run of gold, accounts for
gold r.ot being found on bedrock,
but adove the sedimentary deposits
Mr. Kincaid thinks that this being
the case, better pay will be found
further up the creek; and also thinks
that Donlan creek will show up well
as soon as it is developed. Donlan
has six tributaries, all on the left
limit; and all head up in big domes,
each creek seeming to have its sep
arate hill; the formation at the heads
of the creeks being quartz, granite
and porphyry, and all carry a little
gold on the surface. The country
away from these creeks is principally
sandstone, the placer area being lim
ited. There is plenty of water and
considerable timber.
There will be a good deal of pros
pecting this winter in the district.
Lar«on & Smeaton are now building
cabins preparatory to beginning win
ter work.
“Everything in the country is stak
ed,” Mr. Kincaid said, “and it is no
use for anyone to go there expect
ing to find vacant ground. That reg
ion is staked for miles and miles
without regard to whether it contains
gold or merely pebbles. Three Finns
recently went through that country j
with packs upon their backs, staking |
i
>
everything in sight. When night
came they lay down and slept; but
when morning broke they resumed
their work. Another man staked 14
miles of one creek, away beyond the
Black River country.”
There is no show for the man who
really wants to prospect, for the mo
ment he strikes a creek he finds it
staked, and is completely shut out.
Some men went down from Black
Ftiver to Georgetown after grub. They
?ot back on September 18, and re
ported that there were no provisions
there, but a steamer was expected on
September 28 with an ample supply.
The recording station tor the Black
River district will be at Georgetown,
where a commissioner from Bethel
is located, and a deputy marshal from
the McKinley district.
“The only game in that section,”
H. E. McDaniels, proprietor of the
Woodland roadhouse 26 miles out
from Chitlna on the new cut-off
trail, wa3 a visitor in Chitina this
week. He made the trip in six hours,
and says no one could ask for a
better trail. He is making a number
of improvements to his roadhouse,
and says he’ll be prepared to handle
the increasing travel this winter.
Ed. Dyer was subpoenaed on Wed
nesday to appear at court in Cordova
and left on Thursday morning’s train.
FLOOD CAUSED BY GLACIER
AT KATALLA HAS SUBSIDED
Kataila, Dec. 1.—The Bering
glacier flood hes subsided, with no
serious results. The only persons in
that section at the time of the break
up were H. S. Wise and Kayak
Smith, who live at Stillwater. They
noticed the rapid rise of the river
and sought a place of safety at their
camp on Clear Creek.
/ The outside papers published ex
aggerated accounts of the flood,
thereby causing much uneasiness
among persons who have relatives in
this section. We want to state for
the benefit of all concerned that ev
; eryone is safe and such a flood is
never likely to occur again. Bering
river is twenty-four miles from Ka
talla and the glacier fifty miles from
here, so ii can be readily seen that
the flood did not affect the town
or its residents.
Here in
CHIT1NA
Is a genuine opportunity for a man or
woman with a few hundred dollars to in
vest in lots, for either a home or for busi
ness purposes, if the advantages of this great
undeveloped empire are accepted now.
Thousands of settlers, prospectors and
tourists will come into this country next
spring to make this their home and add their
mite to the development of this vicinity.
You cannot afford to miss this oppor
tunity to get in on the ground floor and to
get established for the business that is sure
to come.
DO IT NOW
Chitina Townsite Co.
Copper River & Northwestern Railway
Good Passenger and Freight
Service to Interior Alaska
For Rates and Other Information Apply at
DEPOT OFFICE
When in Cordova
Stop at the
MacCormac Hotel
Corrdova, Alaska
Chitina Bar
S. O. BREEDMAN, Prop.
Best of Everything
Wines and
Liquors
Fire Proof Safe in House
Restaurant in Connection
SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES