THIRD YEAR.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1913
NUMBER 44.
Late Telegraph News
JUNEAU, Aug. 19.—The list shows that on the wrecked
steamer State of California there were 67 passengers and a
crew of 76. One hundred and fifteen were saved, leaving the
loss at 28 or 30, as there-is some discrepancy in the lists. Ten
bodies have been recovered and seven identified. They are:
John Vanderlas and Mrs. Vanderlas, of Austin, Texas;
Mrs. E. C. Ward and Lilia B. Ward, wife and daughter of the
assistant manager of the Pacific Coast Steamshop Co. at
Seattle; Mrs. Albert Bimbaum, Ruby; Mrs. S. B. Riordan,
address unknown; Miss Blanche Fridd, Valley City, N. D. Three
women are unidentified. The missing passengers number 16
and are: Mrs. C. E. Sputhill and 4-year-old daughter, bound
for Skagway; Miss Libia S. Norman, for Skagway; Frank
Fuller and J. H. Holman, latter of Cornwallis, England, bound
from Prince Rupert to Juneau and the following tourists:
Leslie F. Hobro, clerk Pacific Coast Steamship Company, San
Francisco; Miss Alice Johnson, Miss Anna L. Cassidy, B. A.
Wade, W. A. Dyer, Miss Mannette B. Harlan, Miss Stella
Riordan, Mrs. Mary R. Dixon, of Seattle; E. J. Reed, N.
Pisullas and Miss A. J. Wilson, the latter from Prince Rupert.
Of the crew there are seven missing. They are C. Anderson,
fourth officer; D. C. Perkins, wireless operator; N. Lawson,
quartermaster; L. Mizzini, able seaman; P. Smith, J. Clark
and B. Madigan, waiters.
Inspection officers are conducting an investigation. Capt.
T. H. Cann was examined yesterday. He states that the ship
was torn from stem to stern by striking a sharp rock; that the
vessel sank in three minutes; that most of the women whose
bodies have been recovered were either kibed or drowned, that
the fabing mast destroyed the bfe boats.
* Ab exonerate the captain, who with Pilot McGibivray
went down with the ship, but they came up and then directed
most of the rescue work. Most of the survivors went to
Skagway on the Georgia and south to Seattle on the North
western, while some remained at Juneau. The people of this
town threw open their homes to the victims as soon as they
reached here. The Pacific Coast Company purchased clothing
for the survivors and did ab possible'for their comfort.
-0—O—0
SEATTLE, Aug. 18.—Secretary of the Interior Lane is
in the city and in an address gave expression to sentiments that
has greatly encouraged all who are interested in the develop
ment of Alaska. They now know that not only is the secretary’s
sympathies with the people of the northland, but that his best
efforts will be directed toward early accomplishment. Among
other things he said:
“If we can spend $400,000,000 in digging the Panama
canal we can afford to spend $40,000,000 in Alaska in tying
ourselves to part of ourselves. I favor a complete system of
government railroads in Alaska. Not one railroad to the coal
fields, but railroads which will open the grazing, agricultural
and mineral lands. I have faith that my boy will live to see
Alaska when that vast territory will contain 10,000,000 persons.
The time will come in my opinion, when one will be able to
board a train at Seattle and be conveyed by railroad to the
remote sections of Alaska.”
-o—o—o
NANAIMO, B. C., Aug. 15.—The wildest kind of scenes
prevail in this locality and all kinds of desperate deeds are
attempted. The striking miners are resorting to any possibly
measure to wreck vengeance on the mine owners and the strike
breakers, at the same time intimidating the public generally.
Last night 175 of the strike breakers were trapped in
No. 3 mine at the extension. Bridges have been blown up, the
mines have been flooded, many residences have been burned
while several neighboring small towns have been almost
destroyed. The Nanaimo Herald has been intimidated into
suspending publication. The desperate acts have been some
what curtailed by the arrival of the regulars. Four hundred
of the militia from Victoria landed machine guns at Departure
Bay and trained them on the striking rioters, which has caused
a temporary retreat. The coal miners have been on a strike
for several months and the conditions of late have become most
desperate.
-o—o—o
ALBANY, Aug. 15.—Late this afternoon Lieutenant
Governor Glynn decided on his course of action. He then
made a formal demand on Governor Sulzer that he surrender
the executive chamber, privy seal and records. Sulzer refused
to comply. His chief counsel, D. Cady Herrick, stated that the
refusal included a proposal that Sulzer and Glynn prepare an
agreed upon statement of the facts in the present controversy
and submit them to the courts to determine who is governor.
ALBANY, Aug. 16.—Lieut. Governor Glynn refused the
proposition of Sulzer and thus checkmated the attempt to hold
up the controversy until the courts had finally determined it.
Glynn declared that it was beyond his power “to barter away
any functions attaching to the office in which I am placed by
your impeachment. Any such attempt would place me in the
position you now occupy, that of being impeached for mal
feasance in office.” „.! U. M
NEWS SUSHANNA STRIKE
Cordova, August 19
The large number of stampeders in town have been busy
today getting their outfits together preparatory to departing
on the train tomorrow morning for McCarthy’s. It is expected
that 75 will go and two cars of horses. The train will run
special but will take mail and go through to Ivennecott,
reaching there tomorrow evening. A local train will depart
either Thursday or Friday morning, reaching McCarthy’s the
day following.
Another crowd of stampeders will reach here on Thursday
morning, to the number of about 50. While there are other
horses aboard, one party is,shipping 20 horses from Seattle to
be sold here. The Mariposa will sail from Seattle tonight,
bi-inging another crowd of stampeders and horses, to arrive
here next Monday.
A train from Ivennecott came in this afternoon about 4:30
o’clock. Grant Reed was a passenger, having come from the
Chisana. He gives a favorable report of the new diggings,
having made a location himself. He believes the systematic
work that is now being done by large oxitfits will l'esult in more
clearly demonstrating the value of the country. The trail is
not now as bad as when he fii’st went over it, and the impi’ove
ment which has been started will, he thinks, make the
McCarthy-Scolai route so far superior to all other trails that
it will soon be accepted as the only feasible route.
Cordova, August 1G
Fifteen stampeders started on this morning’s train for the
interior’, to take up the line of march for the new Chisana gold
diggings. Twelve of them, with seven horses and a couple tons
of provisions, have determined to give the Gulkana route a
try out. As a consequence they will leave the train at Chitina
and follow the government wagon road about 75 miles to
Gulkana. From there they will go 24 miles to Chistochina
along the river of the same name. From Chistochina they will
go 25 miles on the Eagle City trail to Cobb lake, leaving the
trail they will go 5 miles to Slalxna river crossing, then 10 miles
to Batzunetas, then 40 miles via Jack Wade creek to the
Nebesna river. From there they will travel 30 miles along
Cooper creek, over Cooper pass and down Notch creek and to
the present gold diggings on the tributaries of the Chisana
river. This will mean a distance of 209 miles under the nxost
conservative estimate, and equal t*;. moi-e than double the
distance over the trail from McCarthy’s to the Chiasna.
In this crowd is one party of: James Head, R. Clark,
Byron S. Ai’nold and J. C. Arnold. They have 4 horses and a
wagon, and have with them nearly two tons of supplies. They
are in hopes that they can get their wagon through and thus
land moi-e tonnage than they think they could by the other
route. McBane, of Ketchikan and two othei’s, with thr.ee
horses, are also going via Gulkana. They all regard the new
route as an experiment.
The recent favorable reports received from the Chisana
gold diggings has encouraged our people in the belief that a big
camp will be established and that the stampeedrs will continue
to go into the inteiior throughout the winter. David W. Eaton,
chief of the Alaska boundai-y survey party, reached Coi'dova
yesterday and has affinned the faith that our people have had
that the trail from McCarthy’s is the shoidest and only feasible
i*oute to the new district. His suggestion that needed x’epaii’s to
the trail should be made at once, so that its permanency would
be xinquestionably established, met with responsive favor and
immediate action.
As a consequence the Cordova Chamber of Commerce has
arranged to start crews of men to woi'k tomorrow, on such
pai’ts of the trail between McCarthy’s and the Nizina as requii’e
cordoroy roads or other improvements. Any additional
stretches needing attention from the Nizina on will be attended
to. It has also been decided to later make such improvements
as may be necessaiy to pxxt the winter trail in good condition.
By this route sledding outfits and winter travel will go up the
Nizina river to the Nizina glacier and thence along a trail up
Scolai creek to the pass, thus eliminating the pi’esent trail
along the Chittystone. The distance over either trail is less
than 100 miles from McCarthy’s to the Chisana.
Cordova, August 15
Stampeders for the new Sushanna gold country took the
special train this morning for McCarthy, and will reach there
before 7 o’clock this evening. They numbered 82, and accom
panying them were several cars of horses and freight. A large
number are still in town awaiting the arrival of 56 horses that
will come from Seattle on the freighter Latouche on Saturday
morning. Some of the recent arrivals on the steamer North
western have determind not to make the attempt to go to the
interior, by reason of a lack of supplies and a shortage of
money necessary to properly outfit. This action has been
repeatedly advised by the Daily Alaskan and returning
stampeders have given practical demonstration of the futility
of going in with only a pack on the back. Many who tried it
hav« returned and spread the opinion that stampeders should
take in at least supplies enough to last several weeks. Other
wise they would find themselves in the new diggings with
only grub enough to last a few days and no opportunity to go
to new creeks to prospect and locate. ,
Cordova, August 18
Gus Johnson is one ot the returning stampeders who, as
an old miner, looks with favor on the new diggings. He says
that he visited several creeks and panned values in every
instance from 10 cents to 50 cents.
Stephen Birch came in from Kennecott last night. He
states that the average number of men are again working at
the Bonanza mine. Some of the stampeders changed their
plans after reaching McCarthy’s and went on to Kennecott
and secured work. Others have returned from the Chisana.
Mr. Birch says that about 2,000,000 pounds of copper per mont
is now being minde from the Bonanza. Supt. Seagraves i s
expected back from the gold diggings in two or three days. He
has written back a very encouraging report. Others of the
Bonanza crew who returned are sending in provisions to
partners who remained, and all feel that a good camp will be
developed.
James MacCormac former railroad rock contractor,
returned, but left his partner to do prospecting and assessment
work on Wilson creek, the two claims they located showing
good pay. He says James and his partners, on Little Eldorado,
are taking out about an average of 50 ounuces per day. Believes
that a good camp will result as soon as pack trains supply the
new camp with provisions and outfits get in that are now on
the way. Then more extensive prospecting will result. He
characterizes the country as a prospector’s paradise.
Gus Steipovach, formerly miner in the Fairbanks and
Iditarod countries, returned to take in two horses and supplies,
and have one of his partners go back with him. He located
Claim No. 20 on Bonanza, which shows 15 to 20 cents to the
pan. He was present in James cabin when a clean up from 15
feet was weighed and netted 135 ounces. He was also present
when a man from Dawson offered Carl Witliam $42,000 for
Claim No. 1 above Discovery'. It was refused, and that was
before Witliam cleaned up 16 ounces from 16 hours shoveling
CHITINA, Aug. 16.—About twenty returning stampeders
arrived here from the new gold diggings and will reach
Cordova tonight. Nearly all are more sanguine that there will
be a good camp in the Chisana than any previous bunch. But
they are all of the opinion that a man ought to take a horse
to pack enough grub to last him several weeks.
A party of well known railroad boys is composed of J. B.
Carlisle, H. A. Cook, J. Bradazon and Ed. Barnett. They wfere
not able to stay long but declare that there is a better showing
for the short time since discovery than was made in any other
camp they have been in. They say that Janies is still making
a big clean-up, and that Carl Whitman took out fourteen
ounces in fourteen hours, shoveling himself. Hamshaw
continues to cross cut Wilson creek and is hiring men at $5
per day and found, or $12 and they to keep themselves.
Carlisle says that a number of large outfits have arrived
with supplies and tools and that they are beginning to do
legitimate work. Many are whipsawing lumber for boxes, but
the ground is beginning to freeze. He met Supt. Seagraves.
of the Bonanza mine, 15 miles from the diggings. Jim Hyland,
of Chitina says that he thinks it will make a good camp as
there are all the indications for placer gold.
Ihe returning men say that several small outhts are now
packing supplies from McCarthy’s but that as soon as they
reach the diggings everything is immediately bought up.
Hamshaw is backing Oscar Breedman in an enterprise to put
on a pack train of 25 horses from McCarthy’s to the Chisana.
Breedman expects to have this enterprise in working order
at the end of next week and calculates to make the round trip
every two weeks. With what other pack trains will be running
it is expected that the food shortage will soon be supplied,
particularly as most of the stampeders now going in are taking
horses and liberal supplies.
Carlisle and his partners came from the Chisana to
McCarthy’s in four days. They had one horse. There are no
great obstacles to encounter. They report that several horses
were recently lost in the Cliittystone by falling over a cliff.
This was caused by reason of cheechacos not knowing how to
pack the horses and to handle them on a narrow trail.
Experienced men have no difficulty. Leaving McCarthy’s
there are roadhouses every few miles as far as the Cliittystone
crossing. After leaving Breedman’s the next camp is at Solo
creek and then nothing from there on.
Three men arrived from Dawson, making the trip in
fourteen days actual travel. They found it necessary to stop
a day to make a raft to cross a river. Many more are on their
way and are likely to arrive daily. The Dawson men claim
that a good trail can be made from the head of navigation on
White river, but they haven’t yet demonstrated where the
head is.
Colonel Richardson arrived here from Nome and Fair
banks on Thursday night. He was presented with a letter
from Cordova Chamber of Commerce, asking that the Alaska
Road Commission improve the trail to Scolai Pass. Chitina
people discussed with Colonel Richardson the advantages of
a winter trail from Chitina up the Copper river to its
headwaters at Batzulnetas, then to follow Tanana creek, Jack
Wade creek to the Nabesna and on to the Chisana. The
colonel expressed himself as much impressed with this route
for winter travel. He left over the government road on
Friday for Valdez. • . i »