Seward weekly gateway., December 30, 1905, Image 1

About Seward weekly gateway. (Seward, Alaska) 1905-1914

Image provided by: Alaska State Library Historical Collections

                
STEAMER PORTLAND
WRECKED ON ROCKS
Strikes Reef While Trying to Pick Ip Buoy—Ml Passengers, Crew,
Mall and Express Sa\ed But Vessel fs a lotai Loss—Coat
Had a Romantic History and Was Once
an Opium Smuggler
Steamer Portland ran upon
Spire Island eight miles below
Ketchikan last week and is a
total loss All passengers were
saved, as well as freight, being
taken off in a small gasoline
boat.
The steamer carried no mail
nor express except a small
quantity of local. The passen
gers were taken to Ketchikan
ana the Santa Clara carried them
to Seattle.
The news came over the cable
last Saturday to Operator Faust
from other operators on the
line. It is supposed that the
news was carried first to Juneau
by a Lynn canal boat as nothing
lias been received from Seattle.
The statement that the Port
land carried no mail except local
seoms at first thought to be an
error, until it is remembered
that she sailed just ahead of the
Oregon, and all through mail
was left for the outside and
faster boat.
Hal Rnfnantlc History
The Portland was an old boat and
boasted of a romantic history. She
was built on the Atlantic coast and
was launched as the Haytian Republic, j
She ran for several years on the At
lantic and then was brought around to
the Pacific, where she has since en- ■
gaged in the coastwise trade.
About ten years ago the vessel was
seized by ihe government as a contra- i
band opium carrier and was sold un
der the condemnation at Portland.
She was purchased by Portland men,
who gave her the name of their city.
When she was confiscated as an opium
carrier she on the Seattle-San
' Francisco run. She had long been
suspected of being engaged in the
opium trade for the famous opium,
ring which had its headquarters at
Portland, and in whicl r. U. S. senator, 1
now dead, and a special treasury agent i
were involved. She was suspected of I
carrying opium both ways from ^ io-j
toria and »i‘ finally caught with the
goods.
Ice l<niB4 Is Berlftp Jei
When the Nome gold discoveries
created an important port there the
Portland w as placed o»’ that run from |
Seattle, lu the spring of UX)2 ‘■be
caught in the ice in Bering sea while
trying to get into Nome before the ice '•
‘ went out, and wan ice-bound fifty-five
dav**. Capt. Lindquist, then s»s now.
was her master, and be took *he ves-1
sel safely through to Nome *ft.'»* days;
of ceaseless vigil whtch won common-,
dation from the crowd of passenger*
on board. They pasted a set cf reso
lutions, complimcnticg his services ir
the most eulogist’ term*.
The Portland and J< anie sa’lnd late
in April that year fi»r Nome, *nd al
though both were ice-bound for nearly
two months, were carried far out of
their way and never sighted each
other, yet they tailed into the harbor
at Nome almost together in Ju’y, be
ing sighted from the shore at the same
hour. The Nome City, sailing later,
carried passengers upon a contract to
refuud #50 cf ‘he passage money if she
•lid not reach Nome first, and she won
the race.
About two years ago the Portland
was placed on the run from Seattle to
Seward aud Valdez, where she has
since remained, sailing monthly by the
inside passage. She was operated by
the Alaska Commercial Company.
Departure Mas III starred
On her last trip the Portland sailed
from Seward the morning of Decem
ber 11. Superstitious persons may
point with pride to the bad omen indi
cated by the ill luck which signalized
her departure. In leaving the wharf
in a heavy sea she was dasned against j
the fender piles of the viaduct be-:
rwvw W* vw\> wharves, knocking tb# ]
piles down and dragging away the
ruiiiug and stanchions i»f her deck.
When she reached the entrance of
Resurrect ion ha v n terrific storm out
side drove her back. All night she
floated about in the harbor near the
city, as the water in the bay was too
rough for her to anchor. The waves
were the highest ever seen in the bay
since the town was built.
The Portland took only a few first
class passengers from Seward, but she i
had about thirty in tin* steerage. She
; undoubtedly added to the list at other
ports. Her first-class passenger list
from Seward was as follows, all por
ous well-known here: Mrs. W.
Stull. F. L. Donovan, R. MeGuirk, W.
T. Baker, J. O. Waazer, K. W.
Young.
Seattle. Dec. The steamer Port
land was trying to pick up the Spire
island buoy when she went on the
rocks. December 20. The news was
brought by the Santa Clara, which
arrived la>t night with par: >f the
Portland's crew. The remainder of
of the crew are still with the ves-td.
Steamship Oregon sails tonight for
Seward by the outside passage, with a
full freight cargo and a large number
of passengers. _
Missing Buoy Has on Rocks
The steamer Portland was wrecked
| because the Spire island buoy had
difted out of its place to the reef where
I the vessel struck. This is a safe pre
sumption because the Bertha brought
H«e news um the ouoy was mil ol p ace.
j Purser Sam Christian said in Seward
i that the Bertha saw that tie* buoy was
misplaced and in a dangerous spot and
| tiie fact was reported at Juneau.
The officers of the Bertha heard
' nothing of the mishap to the Portland j
until they reached Valdez. i'ne\ j
passed the luckless steamer a short
distance this side of the scene of her
disaster, and left Juneau before a
J later boat brought the story north
; ward.
When informed of the cable sto:\.
i from Seattle in Thursday’s Gateway
: stating that the Portland went ashore
! while trying to pick up the Sp :*
j island buoy Mr. Chriv an promptly
‘said that it «a> not slrtngt a> the fc*r
j tha had found the signal misplaced
He said the Portland nni-t have ap
■ preached the buoy in heavy wealhet
' which made it impossible ’<’.-**e that it
j was out of its be rir. ami on t i •• I ef.
ALASKA SlilPHNi) CHOWS
Annual Report of Secretary of the
Interior Shows Big Total
Tlu* annua! report of the secretary |
of the interior shows that the shipping
of merchandise to Alaska is reaching
■ large figures. The sferret ary says:
“Domestic merchandise shipped
! from the United States to Alaska from
I customs districts in Oregon, Puget]
Sound and San Francisco aggregated j
11,227,619, of which *9,679,800 was car- j
rit-.l in American steam vessels, and |
: $1.547,siL) was carried in American
] nailing vessels. Tbt shipment of do-]
[ rustic merchandise from Alaska to
the United States was of the value of
; $10,0>8,6i*4. The shipment of gold and
] silver coin from the United States to
I Alaska amounted to $4?",036, and ship
| ment of coin from Alaska to the United
S Stares amounted to $59,284. The total
! shipments of gold and silver from
1 Alaska to the United States aggre
gated in valueJU9,801.160.
• The import; of merchandise into
I Alaska froii foreign countries were of
j the value of $1,459,910, and the ex
po-:* to foreigu countries wore
$’,07.7,026.
j “The consolidated receipts from cus
• toms, including -$ilti,i>S0.37 for duties
| on imports, were $133,248.15, and the
! expense of collection amounted to $69,
739.35.” ___
find Platinum iu British Columbia
On Bear Creek in the Nicola Valley,
in British Columbia, a find of platinum
ha* been made which is remarkable
according to the report. The ore al
ready ran $50 a ton in silver and gold,
and it was never suspected that there
was any platinum in it.
---
Over $10,000,000 is paid away yearly j
In sick benefits by friendly societies to ■
> adyH members in Great Britain.
BEGINS WORK OF
TUNNEL BORING
Railroad Fn^aged at Both Fnds
of First Hole on Placer
River Slope
Tunnel boring began the present
week at both etuis of tunnel No. I, on
mile 411 of the railroad. This is tin*
j tunnel which will In* constructed by
the railroad company. At the nearer
end the work will be done by hand. At
the farther end steam drills are being
driven by a compressor. Most of the
boring will be done from that end. The
tunnel is to be 710 feet long.
Track laying proceeds slowly. The
rails are now elose to the big rock cut
on mile 47, which will soon be com
pleted, and before the end of January
the track will extend to the end of
mile 47. which will be the terminus
for the winter. The extension of the
rails is gradually lessening the length
of the sled road over which supplies
for the tunnel camps are taken. 1 he
work is not rushed because only a few
track layers are now employed and the ,
cuts on the new grade are pretty well;
snowed in, which makesalot of shovel-j
ing necessary just ahead of the track
layer'.
Little snow has fallen out on the line
during the past week, and the temper
ature until a day or two ago was only
n few degrees below the freezing point.
The cold snap has dropped the mercury
close to zero at the front but the work
in progress is such that sharp weather
does not interfere with operalions. It
is neariv all rock work now.
Mechanics are engaged in putting
together the .»ig rotary plow which
came up on tlm Santa Ana. and it will
he ready fo go out on the line in an-!
other week. There are several ear-]
load- of tit*' ni* • • and the ta>k of com-1
bining them requires no little median-1
ical skill as well as hard work. The]
work is being-done at the railroad dock,
where the machinery was taken off.
General Manager Poland has been
out over the line for two weeks, going
•is far as Turnagain Arm to inspect
w inter operations. He will not return
until after New Vear's Hay. J. B.
Cameron, engineer of construction, lias
been at the front almost constantly for
'everal weeks, superintend ng the pre
parations for tunnel work and other
details.
JIBFCfcT C4MR IN
ima JANUARY 5
r. finch Pitman Comes to Seward
to Take Charge of Custom
House Business
Among the pa s-ngers on the Santa
Ana was F.. Fine!. Pitman, the deputy
collector of customs for this port, who
will open the local customs office Jan
uary 1. The order of the secretary of
the treasury creating a subport here
takes effect with the beginning of the
new year. Mr. Pitman was accom
pained by Mrs. Pitman and their child.
Fie was formerly stationed at White
Pass, but has spent the last month
in Juacau studing up the methods of a
seaport office.
It was arranged by cable some time
ago to erect a building specially for
the custom house, but the lack of
building material has made that im
possible, and temporary quarters will
have to be secured until the new build
ing can be constructed. W ork will be
gin upon it as soon as lumber arrives,
which will be very soon, as two largo
cargoes are daily expected to sail from
Seattle.
The creation of a subport does away
with the sending of Seward boats
around 'ey way of Valdez when their
entire cargo is for this port. After
January > they can clear both ways
from Seward and need not re{>ort else
where unless they have business re
| quiring it.
Takes In Tarm Implements
Buck Hoyt, of the Gulkana road
house, is in town this week after sup
plies and farming implements. He
will take in a mower, rake, plow,
harrow, wagons, etc., to be used in
cultivating the homestead near the
roadhouse.—Valdez Prospector.
Boston consumed 63,732 barrels of
baked beaus last year.
TRIES TO LEASE
ALASKA CABLES
J. T. Flynn in Washington for a
Syndicate Which Promises
to Reduce Rates
By CnbU to Tht Dally Qatcway.
Washington, D, C„ Dec, 28—J. T,
Flynn of Seattle is trying to obtain a
lease of the government cable lines to i
Alaska for eastern capitalists. He re- i
presents a syndicate which was plan
ning to lay a private cable line to
Alaska when the government took the
initiative*
Flynn claims that his syndicate can
operate the lines at lower rates than
the government is now doing and he
denounces the Nome residents who
are opposing tHe lease.
Alaska Cable Pays Its Way
The annual report of Gen. Greely,
chief of the government signal service,
shows that the earnings of the govern
I tnent cable and telegraph lines in and
| to Alaska earned more than $100,00*
; from commercial business in less than
a year and a half, since the cable was
! laid. During the same time govern
ment messages were transmitted which
at commercial rates were worth $71,349.
iilTCHCOCK FAVORS
ROADS m ALASKA j
_
•
Secretary of Interior in Annual |
Report Says they Are Nec
essary for District
In hi* annual report to Congress
Secretary Hitchcock of the interior de
partment urges extensive building of
railroads and wagon roads in Alaska. I
saying that the permanent population
of the tet ritory cannot be expected to
increase rapidly nor can its agrieul- |
tural lands be settled until better
transportation facilities exist. Ihe
secretary says:
"Complete developments of Alaska’s
resources must await improvement of
transportation facilities. This can be
brought about only by the construction
of one or more trunk lines of railway, J
supplemented by the building of wagon j
roads. The locations of such railways
and wagon roads must be determined by
explorations which shall ascertain not :
only the best routes but also the dis- i
uibution of the mineral wealth. While
tin* present investigations will in timej
cover this field, it would be advantage-j
ous to complete these exploratons at an '
early date say, within two years. It i
is estimated that the total cost of the
necessary explorations, covering an
area of about 50,000 square miles, will
be $200,000.
“The governor of Alaska. John G..
Brady, in his report discusses generally
the condition of affairs in that district
and among other things, urges the pro
viding of better transportation facilities j
to the river valleys as an incentive to |
settlers to locate and make their homes j
there.
“Several lines of railroad, in addition j
to those already built, have been pro-1
jected. The Alaska Central, leading;
from Seward, at the head of Resurrec- j
tion bay, on Kenai peninsula, has j
cleared more than 100 miles; and when ■
completed, will terminate somewhere
in the Tanana valley, towards Fair-;
banks, a distance of 420 miles. It is
intended to keep 1,700 employes on the
road construction during the entire
year, as was done last year, owing to j
the favorable climatic conditions.
This road will be of incalculable j
assistance to the gold field expected to
be opened up in the Susitna valley.
"In order to encourage transporta
tion facilities, the governor inquires
whether it would not be advisable to
remit the license tax on railroads of
$100 per mile for each mile operated,
and the tax of $1 por tou per annum on
the net tonnage of ocean and coastwise
vessels doing local business for hire.”
Working on Latouche Mine
George Barrack is working a force ,
of fifteen men on the Blackbird group
of copper mines at Latouche, which he j
recently purchased for an eastern;
syndicate. A tunnel, 550 feet iu
length,.will be run to tap the ore body |
at a depth of 140 faet. This property;
adjoins the Beatson property ou the \
north end i|f Latouche island.
One Regiment of Soldiers Goes Over to Insurgents While Remain
ing Troops Arc Wavering—Women fight in Trenches Beside
Men and Battle Area Extends Over Eight Miles
By O&blo to Th» Daily Gateway. |
Moscow, Dec. 28, Twenty thousand'
well-armed and organized rebels arc in
control of the city of Moscow, backed
by teas of thousand* of workingmen
and women all oyer the city, with a
variety of weapons. Women an- fight
ing in trendies beside the men. Part
of the troops have gone over to the
revolutionists and the remainder are
wavering.
The fighting area covers a district of
eight square miles. During the past
two days the actual fighting has been
desultory and the damage to life and
property has been insignificant com- [
pared to what it wav, previously,
St. Petersburg, Dec, 2S Govern
ment officials admit that one regiment
of soldiers lias joined the insurgents in
Moscow. It is reported from Poland
that armed icb llion on a large >cal<
is planned there and that an outbreak ;
is hourly expected.
In this city no serious disturbances!
are occurring as the city is completely
patrolled by large bodies of troops, but
it is known that tin; revolulionists are
actively planning a revolt.
Capture Revolutionary trades
St. Petersburg, Pec. 27-The police
last night captured all the members of
the fighting revolutionary committee j
in a conference. Their leader is a man
named Schoolman. The police also
seized a detailed plan for an uprising
in which bombs were to be employed '
simultaneously in various parts of the
• it v t»> h»‘*'in th« lighting. Tf ti’so «>»t- ,
lined plans for the distribution of arms,
and the disposition of the revolution- j
ariy forces.
Moscow, Dec. 27—Telegraph lines
are being cut and bridges blown up in j
all directions by the insurrectionary
torces to prevent outside communicat
ion and the arrival of reinforcements
to the troops. Fight ing has practically
ceased for the present. Among the
wounded are large numbers of young
boys and girls.
The revolutionists have a story to
day that 80,000 armed workingmen
from outside towns are on their way
here to fight in the rebel army.
St. Petersburg, Dec. 26 Revolution
ary leaders in the capital have adopted
a plan for a republic, which they an-'
nounced today with a proclamation
declaring armed resistance to the auth
ority of the government. The working
men have been arming steadily' and
will he able to offer desperate battle
whenever an outbreak comes.
Orders were issued this morning to
the military commanders to test the
loyalty of the troops by assigning them
to positions where they will be in
contact with the revolutionaries, so
that any indications of mutiny a»e apt
to become palpable. It is also expec
ted that disorders may frequently oc
cur and the conduct of the troops in
suppressing them will afford a test of
their feeling.
Wholesale arrests of revolutionary
leaders and workingmen are made
daily and the prisons are filled with
suspected persons. No public assem
blies are permitted and all revolution
ary meetings are held secretly and at
night. Many of these have been brok
en up by the police and the partici
pants arrested.
Thousands Rilled and Wounded
Moscow, Dec. 2(5.—Fighting is still
in progress here and 5000 have been
killed already and P.,000 wounded, j
The revolutionists are throwing
bombs with deadly effect and thous- j
ands of houses have been burned. |
Many streets are like shambles, while
the blackened ruins of burned build
ings add to the ghastly appearance of
the region where the battle has chiefly
been fought.
The revolutionists are useing Eng
lish machine guns and the troops are i
1 barely holding their own, although
| they have several times swept the
streets by cannonading. The greater
number of the revolutionaries enables
| them continually to renew the fighting
in new quarters and they harass the
| troops from all directions. No pros
; pect of a cessation of the fighting is in
j sight.
Moscow, Dec. 25—Desperate fighting
! between the troops and revolutionists
j began yesterday in this city, and 1000
i men were killed and a much larger
number were wounded. Part of th*
gendarmes and Cossacks joined the re
volL hut the great body of the troops
remained loyal, and drove the revolut
ionists through the city with a battery
of machine guns which wrought feaful
havoc.
The army is absolutely isolated, as
the revolutionists have eut off all com
munication, and the troops are fighting
for their lives as much as for the gov
ernment. The numbers of the revolut
ionists are constantly increasing and in
spite of their temporary defeat a re
newal of the fighting is hourly expected.
St. Petersburg, Dec. 2d.- The czar
fears for his throne as the revolution
ists are daily becoming stronger and
their attitude more menacing. An
outbreak is possible at any hour.
Witte I as ordered the troops not to
spare ammunition in c.ise of a disturb
ance, and any open disorder will
doubtless be followed by blood died
Throughout the empire the army
officers in charge have been in
structed to put down any attempt a
revolt by the most relentless methods.
Warn C/ar to leave Hussia
St. Petersburg, Pec. 2d The czsr
has been warned by missives to leave
Russia, and he fears assassination at
the hands of revolutionists, lie is
closely guarded in his palace at Tsar
skoe-Selo by large bodies of troops,
strong enough to resist almost any at
tack if they remain loyal.
Nicholas blames Witte for not stop
ping the diMudCi'S throughout Cm cut
pire. He believes that more drastic
measures should lie taken against the
revolutionists, and the reactionaries
around him are constantly urging that
Witte is unequal to the situation.
PROGRESS IN SIRVtYS
Government Work in Alaska Ex
tends Over W'ide Area
Progress of government surveys in
Alaska is reported as follows by the
secretary of the interior iu his annual
report:
“The workjof the division of Alaskan
mineral resources was continued along
the same general lines as in previous
years, with the aim, as far as means
permit, of keeping abreast of the ac
tive mining developments. This nec
essitated the limitation of the opera
tions to the fields of know i economic
importance, to the neglect of unex
plored regions.
“Nine expeditions were dispatched to
Alaska during tin* summer of 1904. As
some of these were subdivided, four
teen parties in all w<>re engaged in
surveys during most of the summer.
The geologic work included a continu
ation of the study of the gold and cop
per hearing regions of Southeastern
Alaska, of the gold-placer districts of
the Yukon-Tanana region, of the Sew
ard Peninsula, and of the Cook Inlet
region; also a reconnoissance of the
Cape Lisburne coal fields and a contin
uation of the study of the coal-bearing
rooks of the Pacific littoral. Incident
al to this a further study of the petro
leum fields and tin deposits was made.
Topographic reconnoissanee surveys
(scale 1:250,000) were made of 4,500
square miles in the Yukon-Tanana re
gion, and of 1,600 square miles in the
Cook Inlet region, and a detailed map
(1:62,500) was made of about 600 square
miles near Nome. Of greater immedi
ate interest to the miner was an inves
tigation of the methods and costs of
placer mining in Alaska, the report on
which has been published (Bulletin
No- 262). _
Indians Sell Meat to Dawsoo
A great train of dog teams arrived
in Dawson this morning from the
Rocky mountains with tons of fresh
meat for the Dawson market. Twenty
five Peel river braves, two mothers of
the tribe and two children made the
journey with the party.
The outfit was eight sleeps making
the journey from the hunting grounds
to Dawson. The meat brought is cari
bou and mountain sheep. Little moose
was found by the Indians this time.
The dog teams are among the finest
ever seen here, and all the animals are
gaily decorated with ribbons and ro
settes made by tho native women.
—Dawson News.