Blast: The Race For Gold
By Alan Smithee
Gold! Gold! Gold! When news broke in 1896 that gold had been found in the Yukon Territory, people flocked to the region. Over the course of four years, 100,000 people set off for the Yukon. Only 4,000 of them found gold. What risks did people take when they followed the Klondike Gold Rush?
Men were willing to spend money to make money. In order to survive in the Yukon Territory, men needed at least a year’s worth of supplies. Typical supplies included 800 pounds of flour, 30 pounds of nails and 50 pounds of dried fruit, among other things, and cost the equivalent of $40,000 in today’s money. Men borrowed money, mortgaged their homes, and spent their life savings to pay for a chance at striking it rich.
After making the financial commitment, men had to figure out how to navigate the Klondike, a mountainous area east of Alaska. Some took their chances on the Yukon River, where several died in the rapids. Others traveled a route that became known as Dead Horse Gulch, since 3,000 horses lay dead at the bottom. Most climbed Chilkoot Pass, a 30-mile climb straight up and down that was too steep for animals, so men had to carry their own supplies. When an avalanche hit Chilkoot Pass in April of 1898, 80 men died.
Prospectors who survived the journey into the Klondike faced extreme conditions. Freezing temperatures often reached 60 below zero. Prospectors built fires to thaw the ground so they could dig mines or pan for gold in the chilly rivers.
Despite the risks, many people were willing to undertake this mission to pursue the Klondike’s riches.
