Digital Bob Archive

11 March 1980

NOVEMBER 30, 1885-Tragedy has struck this camp once more. The first time was the slide in the Basin, previously reported. On a recent afternoon one of our ferrymen, Fred Helm, left the Treadwell camp in his sailboat with one passenger, a Chinaman. Soon after it passed Juneau Island the boat was caught in a sudden squall and the boat filled and sank at once. Neither man reached shore. Helm had been a resident of Alaska for several years and has operated the ferry service between Juneau and Douglas Island during the past year. His boat was thought to be safe and would carry 15 or 20 passengers and their luggage. Robert Michaelson will put his sailboat in the ferry business. Captain Taggart, proprietor of the other ferry boat, the Kushtakah, went below on the steamer Bonita and will return on the next trip of the Idaho, bringing with him a steam launch to be used in the ferry service.

Fr. John Althoff and his assistant, Fr. William Heynen, returned on the Idaho from their visit to Victoria and will build Roman Catholic churches here and at Sitka.

-Dr. Hugh S. Wyman of Douglas Island, physician for the Treadwell mine, and Miss Henrietta Cohen, daughter of Abraham Cohen, were married at Sitka on the 18th by Rev. A. E. Austin at the home of the bride. They came over on the Idaho to make their home on the island. Mark Cohen, who recently moved here from Sitka to establish a brewery, also returned on the Idaho after attending his sister?s wedding.

-The Idaho brought up a dynamo and other machinery for running electric lights at the Treadwell mill. There will be 16 lights to illuminate the mill and adjacent grounds. Because of a water shortage, only 40 stamps have been running at the mill, cutting production by two-thirds. Mr. Treadwell now has a survey party testing the feasibility of a ditch to gather in the waters of several other creeks on the island.

-The owners of the Treadwell mine have purchased for $75,000 cash the Stillman Lewis claims, known as the Oro Fino and the Mexican, just south of the company?s present holdings. Mr. Treadwell has held an option on the property for some time. Sent down on the Idaho was $71,000 in bullion, representing one month?s run of the mill, not including the concentrates. The run was made, however, before the recent water shortage.

-Because of the increase in business in this camp and at Treadwell, we had two steamers in November, the Idaho and the Bonita.