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Album: Seattle, Washington 2007
Image: 488 / 545
Date: 2007-09-03 11:12:50
Tags: Seattle

A Wild River Ride

Once over the passes, stampeders arrived at a series of lakes, headwaters of the Yukon River. The gold fields still lay 550 miles north by river. New challenges awaited the weary stampeders who managed to get this far.

Makeshift Cities

Stampeders who had left Seattle promptly after the arrival of the SS Portland were able to cross the passes and continue by boat before the waterways froze for the winter. Most, however, arrived during the winter months and joined makeshift tent cities at Lake Lindeman and Lake Bennett. Here they anxiously awaited the thawing of the lakes and rivers so they could continue their journey.

Some stampeders purchased prefabricated boats that were hauled over the passes in pieces and reassembled. Those with sufficient means hired others to build a boat. Most faced the daunting task of building a boat from scratch - something few had done before. Some rose to the challenge and a good-natured camaraderie developed as stampeders shared skills and tools to get the job done. For others, it was a cause of argument and the breakup of partnerships.

Backbreaking Work

Finding suitable wood for boat-making was difficult. Forrests near the lakes were quickly stripped of useable timber. Logs were floated down rivers or carried or dragged considerable distances from other areas. The logs were then set on elevated log platforms and tediously sawn into planks using two-person whipsaws.

Once the timber was cut, crude boats were fashioned. The most common was a flat-bottomed skiff 22 to 25 feet in length that could carry a two or three-ton load. Seams between planks were packed with oakum - tar soaked hemp or jute fiber - and covered in pitch.

Launch Day Arrives

On May 29, 1898, the day the stampeders had been waiting for, finally arrived. The ice began to break, clearing the waterways for travel. On the first day, 800 boats set sail for the Klondike. In all, nearly 7,000 boats began the 550-mile journey from the lakes to Dawson.

The journey took about three weeks. A series of rapids challenged the stampeders, many of whom had no previous boating experience. In the first few days, more than 150 boats were wrecked and ten people drowned.

Mounties to the Rescue

Trying to protect lives and keep control over the stampede, Canada's Northwest Mounted Police established specific regulations for boats descending the Yukon. Boats were inspected and licensed at Lake Bennett before proceeding. The name and next of kin of each passenger was recorded and each boat was required to display a registration number. These numbers were sent to police posts in order to track boats. Family members were notified in the event of a mishap.