Seward Weekly Gateway
vo, ,,, NO ,5 Si:\V A I! I >. ALASKA. SATE »1>A V. NOVHMKHH -M. HMW._*_
FORTY-NINE DROWNED
BY BOAT COLLISION
Sound Steamer Dix Attempts to Cross Bow ol
Jeanie Which Rams and Sinks Her in
a few Moments.
Women Passengers Cooped Up in Cabin and 411 but One Go Down
With fated Vessel-Mate at Wheel Loses his Head and
Turns Helm Wrong Way. and Mistake Costs Him
His Own life With Many Others.
By Cable to Tbe Dally Gateway.
Seattle. Nov. 1!‘ The Sound steamer
Dix was sunk in collision with the
at earner .ieanie off Alki 1 oint .1^
night at 7:,'U> and thirty-nine of her
eight v passengers are missing and be
lieved to be drowned. Hu* Dix was on
tin* wav to Port Hlakely anil nearly all
her passengers were residents of that
place. The .Ieanie was bound for
Tacoma.
A* the steamers approached each
other tlm Dix got out of her course
And ran alongside the Jeanie, then sud
denly turned sharply and tried to cut
Across the .leanie's bow. She was
struck almost amidships by the larger
boat and keeled over and sank in a few
seconds. The women passengers were
all in the cabin and were unable to get
Out before she s:ink. Only one. Alice
Simpson, l’» years old, escaped. 1 he
men were mostly on deck and when
the steamers collided they jumped into
the water. About half of the whole
number of passengers were picked up
bj the boats of the Jeanie, which were
quickly lowered.
It is evident that the mate at the
wheel of the Dix was responsible for
tne collision. He apparently lost his
.head and turned the wheel the wrong
way as the l*oats came together. He
was one of the drowned.
Death l.ht Reaches Forty-nine
Seattle. Nov. JO The list of persons
missing a> the result of the sinking of
the steamer Dix through her eolli>ion
with the Jeanie U now swelled to
forty-nine. So far only one body ba>
been recovered, that of Albert Me Don
FIND GOLD IN
QUARTZ CAPPING
Assay of $3.28 Found in Rock
Near Surface in Claim on
Mill Beside Town.
An assay of &I.2S in gold to tin* ton
has been obtained from the capping of
the quart/ ledge in the hill southeast
of Seward where a tunnel i> being
driven by the present owners. Charles
Hewitt. A. C. Could and F. .1. Conner.
They will drive the tunnel until it looks
either better or worse.
Two years ago a small stampede was
started in Seward by the discovery <‘f a
quartz stringer about le t feet from the
opeuing of the pre>*mt tunnel. The
ruck carried free gold visible to the
naked eye and several high assay* were
obtained, one of ** ". A great many
claim- were staked on the side of the
hill. The -tringer -oon pinched out
and the excitement died.
The dazzling stringer «a- discover
ed bv Mike John-on and Chris Coos.
They received several go d offers for
an interest but refused all of them, be
lieving they had millions, it is stated
that \\. A. Shedd of Chicago, who
originally financed the Ala-ka Central
and who happened to he in Seward at
the lime of the excitement, offered to
take a bond on the claim- for sYi.O Ki
and expend -lo.tMHl in developing the
ledge, but the proposition was de
clined, as all others were. After the
stringer pinched out the locators sold
for next to nothing.
Alaska Coast Buys J.anie.
It i- announced in the Seattle papers
that the steamer Jcauie has been pur
chased hy the Alaska Coast Company
for the Southern Alaska run. In the
latest papers she was scheduled in the
company’s advertisement to sail No
vember la with explosives and com
bustibles.
alii. Port Blakely, which was the
home of nearly every one of the lost,
i> in mourning today.
The Fommercial Flub of Seattle
adopted resolutions today asking the
federal marine inspectors to invest i
::it. thoroughly all the circumstances
surrounding the accident. All opin
ions agree that the mate on the Dix at
the wheel lost his head and in his ex
citement turned the helm the wrong
way.
Inquire Into Disaster
Seattle. Nov. 21 Investigation of
the Dix disaster began today. The
first matter taken up is the question
why Fapt. Lermond allowed Mate
Dennison to have charge of the wheel.
Next it will he inquired whether the
Dix was top heavy, as is claimed, and
required ballast below to render her
easily controllable.
Five missing persons have reported
since yesterday and live others are
accounted for. It is believed that fifty
in the cabin, mostly women, went
down with the vessel and were drown
ed because they could not get out.
Put Blame on Boat Officers
Seattle, Nov. 215 Testimony in the
investigation of the Dix disaster shows
that the chief engineer of the Jennie
was absent from the vessel without
leave and that the Dix had no lookout
on her bow. The prosecuting attorney
of King county has been present at the
hearings and it is expected that war
rants will be issued on manslaughter
charge- against officers of the steamers
who are held in any way culpable for
the collision.
PROPOSES EXPERIMENTS
WITH SHEEP IN ALASKA
Prof. Georgeson Believes Hardy
Breeds Will Prove Profitable in
This Territory.
In iii» annual report. Prof. '< •
tieorgeson. special agent in charge of
agricultural * xperiment stations in
Maslta, urges experiments in raising
hardy varieties of sheep in the terri
tory. After discussing cattle raising
experiments he says:
"The introduction of hardy sheep is
almost equally important, and a por
tion of the appropriation should lie
used for this purpose. The hlackfaced
Scotch breed, and the Danish breed,
which has for long periods of years
been bred in Iceland, should be pur
chased if they can he procured in this
country. These are among the hard
iest sheep, and il is safe to say that
I ■ y will • > better in Alaska than any
>0 far 11 ied here.
••It , proposed, it the necessary
u:t.. \ is appropriated for this purpose,
to select from twenty-live to fifty head
of >heep. either of the hlackfaced
Scotch breed or Iceland sheep, or both.
v\ ben animals of this character are
j mti'sluc ; they should be bred pri
' manly w ith a view to develop those
qualit ies which are of tirst importance
to meet Alaska conditions, namely,
hardiness and usefulness for general
| domes!ie purposes. In the view of the
writer, the offspring in excess of that
required for the experiment stations
should be sold to >c*tiers in Alaska for
breeding purposes. They would thus
aid in stocking the territory with cat
tie which the ordinary pioneer could
not afford to introduce. t ongress has
appropriated something over "r—<Kl.000
for the introduction of reindeer in
Alaska, a measure which in itself is
very commendable and highly benetic
! ial to the territory, but may it not be
assumed that cattle and sheep would
{ Ik: of equal value?”
Nevada has a state law requiring
trains to stop in the desert when
(lagged. The object is to supply water
to thirsty travelers and miners.
A
TO LEAD EI8HT
r ON WICKERSHAM
Senator McCumber Will Take Up
Burden at Coming Session
of Congress.
NO NEW CHARGES PREPARED
Report of District Attorney Hoyt's
Investigation Expected to
Bolster Up Attack.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, D. Nov. 22 Senator
Me''umber of North Dakota will lead
the tight at the coming session of con
gress against the confirmation of .Judge
; Wickersham of Alaska. He will at
tack the report of Judge Day and has
J already written to the president that
I he knows ol his own knowledge that j
| some of the charges against Wicker
sham are t rue
The report of District Attorney
Hoyt of the Nome district upon a I
second investigation of the Wicker
sham charges which he made this fall
is awaited with interest. McCumher
| believes that this report will sustain
! his position. No new charges will he
I presented but McCumher will push j
i particularly the charges that gambling j
was conducted for along time in a
building upon a lot in Fairbanks own
ed by Wickersham, and that the judge
is wholly under the influence of Capt.
Barnette, deciding cases in Barnette’s
interest regardless of merit.
JUDGES WILL
CHANGE PLACES
Wickersham and Gunnison to Be
Temporarily Shifted for
Special Cases. 1
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington. I). 1Nov. 'J3— A tem-j
purary shifting of the judges of the,
! First and Third judicial divisions of j
| Alaska will he made early next year by j
j order of the attorney-general becausej
> of the pendency of several important!
cases in each district in which the sit
ting judge deems himself disqualified.
.lodge Wickersham "ill go to Ju-j
man about February 1 anil will re
main there until the opening of navi-1
gat ion on 11 it* N ukon. .fudge Lunnison
has a leave of absence which termi-l
nates March 1 and at that time he]
will go to Fairbanks and bold court
i there until June.
Wickersham declines to try the |
Dome creek mining cases at Fairbanks I
' and Clunnison declines to try the He fil
er's Ha\ cases at Juneau. Litigants in
the Dome ereek cases are responsible
; for some of the charges against W'ick
ershutu. It is possible that Wicker-1
sham may hold court at Valdez in the
spring.
FINE POINT IN
CRIMINAL LAW
Question of Alaska Jurisdiction
Now Under Advisement Be
fore Judffe Hanford.
By Cable to Tlio Dmly Gateway.
Seattle. Nov. :i'J .lodge Hanford in
the United States district court today
took under advisement the question
, whether criminal cases can he tried in i
Alaskan courts. The negative conten
tion was raised in the case of ('apt.:
Newth of the whaling fleet, indicted |
I at Nome upon the charge of abduction
of Ivskitno girls, .lodge Moore held!
in tbe district court at Nome that it j
was uncertain whether he had juris-j
diet ion over a crime committed upon
the high -eas, and he therefore re
manded the Newth case to the U. S.
commissioner, directing him to certify
it to the United States district court at
I Seattle, which was done.
Seattle attorneys say that it the
point is sustained in the United States
supreme court it is doubtful whether
any criminal cases can he tried in
j Alaska until congress enacts a law
more specitically conferring criminal
jurisdiction upon the courts of the
territory.
I
SEWARD LAWYERS ADOPT RESOLUTIONS URGING
CREATION OF FOURTH JUDICIAL DIVISION
Seward lawyers recently adopted resolutions setting forth numerous reasons why :i fourth
judicial district should he created in Alaska by division of the present Third. The Seward chamber
of commerce unanimously indorsed tin* resolutions and a large number ol copies were planted, to b**
sent to members of congress and influential men in various states. Delegate Frank Waskey will b«*
asked to place a copy in tin* bands of every member of congress. The resolutions, which wen*
drafted by Cecil H. Clegg, read as follows, omitting preamble:
NOW THEREFORE HE IT RESOLVED, that with this end in view, this association imun*
diately communicate with the President, Attorney-General and Congress of tin* Knifed States, set
ting forth as reasons therefor, among others, the following:
The Third Judicial Division as now constituted naturally consists of two large, separate and in
dependent areas divided by the Alaskan range; the interests of commerce and business within the
two areas are distinct and different; the established lines of travel to and within these natural sub
divisions are separate and independent; there are no speedy means of intercourse nor adequate
facilities for interchange of mail between the inhabitants of the interior and tic* residents upon tin*
coast line.
The immense influx of people during the past two years into the 1 anana valley, centering
around the city of Fairbanks, and the consequent astonishing development of placer mining compel
the constant presence and attention of the Judge of the District Court and the heads of other depart
ments there, in order to cope with the accumulation ot court business in that section alone. It is
unlikely that the presiding judge will be able by constantly holding court to keep abreast <>| the
current calendar and not improbable that the appointment of an additional judge will he necessary
to facilitate the disposal of cases now upon the docket there.
The prolonged attendance of the court at Fairbanks and the lack of a court sitting with regu
lar terms at some convenient place on the coast has been a great drawback and a positive detriment
to the development of the vast business interests now well-established including, in addition t<*
placer mining, coal and copper mining, salmon and cod fisheries, shipping, railways and agriculture
For almost two years but one session of the District Court, of thirty days duration, has been
held upon the coast line of said Division and thereby grievous vexation of spirit and irreparable
injury and abuses have been outrageously inflicted upon the people; they have been compelled
either to resort to unlawful force or to accept an illiberal compromise, amounting to an abandonment
of their legal rights, in the settlement of controversies. Because of the remote possibility of bring
ingTin action to trial persons having grievances calling for legal redress seldom resort to the
District Court.
Thereby, also, they have been witnout uie usual legal remeuies w ijiulctl
rights, such as preliminary restraining order, injunction and mandamus.
Thereby, also, the just rights of accused persons have been invaded and abridged in that their
constitutional right to a speedy trial has J>een virtually denied and their ancient right to habeas
corpus practically abolished.
The performance of the manifold administrative duties imposed by law upon the Judge of tin*
District Court in ordering the issuance of licenses for all lines of business, in approving bills for
payment of expenses of district and inferior courts and in approving official accounts, of necessity
have been unreasonably delayed.
The payment of jurors for service and of witnesses for attendance in commissioners’ courts and
at coroners’ inquests has been exasperatingly slow and tardy.
With a court sitting at Fairbanks only, no ordinary judicial business can be transacted with
expedition by the residents on the coast line, which isovei two thousand miles in t xtent, and t li*
physical obstacles to travel between the interior and coast points make it easier and less expensive
under ordinary circumstances for a resident of Seward or Valdez, seeking legal redress, to go to
Washington, D. C., than to Fairbanks, and the journey to the national capital can be made in
shorter time.
l._ . .11........ ...,,i ... 1......... t.. ,i... ....... I i;....
I lie growing needs oi me muueruu* eine*., ... ..
portion of the Third Division and the rapid and ceaseless development of their varied and important*
and permanent industries make it imperative that Congress forthwith create and organize a Fourth
judicial Division, having its headquarters either at Seward or Valdez, aud embracing all that portion
of the mainland and the islands within the present Third Division, bounded and described as follows:
•‘Beginning at that point on the mouth of the Kuskokwim river where tin* *ix
tieth degree of north latitude strikes it; thence east on said degree to the northwest
*ideof Lake Clark: thence along the northwest side of Lake Clark to it* most
northern point: thence in a northeasterly direction to the western side of Mount
McKinley, and thence to its summit: thence easterly and southeasterly along the
main central divide separating the waters which Mow southward into the gulf or
Alaska from those which flow northward into the Yukon to that point where the
international boundary line between Alaska and Canada readies the summit of
Mount St. Klias."
In the year 1903 a sub committee of the Senate Judicial Committee in their report, after visiting
Alaska, recommended the creation of a Fourth Judicial Division substantially as herein set out,
and in the meantime the necessity therefor lias become doubly acute.
S. (). MORFORD, President.
L. V. RAY. Secretary.
BRADY ARGUES
ALASKA NEEDS
Former Governor Talks of Terri
tory to Trans-Mississippi
J \
Congress.
JV Cable to Tlie Dally Gateway.
Kansas City, Mo.. Nov. 22 Korin orj
Governor Brady of Alaska in a speech
before the Trans-Mississippi congress
today pleaded for government at tention
to Alaska. He said it was time the j
government should learn the needs of
the not them territory through a com-,
mission or otherwise.
After describing the resources of
Alaska Gov. Brady declared that it
should have four railroads adross coun
try from the southern coast to the V u
kon river, and one down the Yukon
and to Cape Prince of Wales. He
said congress should euact homestead
laws for Alaska the same, as ..for any
state, and that if this were done a
steady stream of immigration would go
, , . . ^ ’ *
• . ' r • • • * * r*
• Vv •
to the territory and in developing the
resources of the country would build
large cities.
It i-, probable that Governor Brady's
statement regarding homesteads was
not fully quoted as the homestead laws
generally apply to Alaska now by con
gressional enact rnent.
Watch for Black Sand
Prospectors should investigate all |
deposits of black sand. I In* l nit-d
States geological department has
found that this sand usually carries
platinum, which is more precious than
gold. Other valuable minerals, useful
in the arts, are found in black sand,
which is plentiful in the western
states, especially along the big
streams. Platinum is worth W'> an
ounce. It will remain in the pan with
gold and can be distinguished h\ its
bright silver color. The grams are
usually smaller than gold grains.
Mining Topics.
Delegate Thomas Gale and partners
recently won a case in the l'ananai
against claim jumpers who hopped on
their claim in their absence before
they had completed their assessment
work but before the time expired in
which they were allowed to do it.
ALASKA OUTPUT
FIGURED HIGH
Estimates of Gold Production in
1906 Give Total for Territory
$20,000,000.
Uy C'.Me to The Dally Gateway.
Washington. D. Nov. 20 It ap
pears strough probable now that the
Alaska gold output for liKKi will ex
ceed all earlier estimates by t consid
erable margin. It i> now believed
that the production for the year will
be upward of $19,000.00.1 and may ex
ceed $20,000,000.
This will put Alaska in the second
place among the states and t» rritories
of the union as a gold producer, mov
ing California back into third place.
Colorado will still 1m? lirst.
* Alaska’s gold yield in 1905 was
about $14,000,000, which was about
$5,000,000 more than .that of 1904.
Alaskans are confident that the terrl*
torv will take first place in 1907.
*■ L.*
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