The hydraulic press., 1859-04-23
LAND SLIDE AT MONTE CRISTO.
II rom 0ur Erfr1 of Hst1nls0Inn

TN Monday evening, at about sundown,
the inhabitants of Monte Christie were start
led by a rumbling noise like that of an earth
quake, and upon the people rushing Quito
learn the cause, it was found that landslide
had occurred on the lower fat The earth
parted at the lower road leading from Monte
Christie to Poker Flat "a large mass about
twenty-five feet wide, and of great bulk, was
precipitated down the mountain side dis
tance of about four hundred feet carrying
away three dwelling houses.
There was great CONSERVATION among the
inhabitants in that part of the town. 1t was
soon ascertained that four persons were miss
ing Mrs. Howe, and two of her children,
one an infant, another little girl between
two and three years of age, and also the lit
tie son of Mrs. B. Wright, aged between three
and four years.
The citizens turned out Immediately after
the accident in search of the missing, and
recovered the dead bodies of Mrs. Wright's
boy, and that of Mrs. Howe's infant, that
night about nine o'clock. Atthat hour there
came another avalanche, which compelled
them to fly for the night.
Early this morning the search was renew
ed. Mrs. Howe's body was found at about
" " SiOSh, nav my u Iol SC OClHl iCotluS upOI
the neck. She must have been killed al
most instantly. The body of Mrs. HIS little
girl was not found up to the time our infor-
mant Mr.. R. A. Cochrane, left Monte Christie.
Another child of Mrs. Howe, bright girl
of about seven years, was carried on the top
of the avalanche, and was saved, though
considerably bruised and scratched. The
life of Mr.. Howe, husband ofthe lady above
mentioned,) was saved by one of those mys
terious chances which are so common in
events of such calamity. He had but a mo-
ment or two been out of his house, where
Mrs. Howe and the children were, and was
talking with near neighbor about the prob
able danger of land slide, when the crash
came. Three miners, living in a cabin next
to the house of Mr.. Howe, had just finished
supper and left their cabin, when it was
crushedto atoms, and they had barely time
to flee from impending death.
On the Friday evening previous to this
sad occurrence, there was slide, which took
away the s'dump car" of the West Point
Company, and left fifty feet of their tunnel
with bare timbers. Parties living in that
part of the town had been warned of the
danger of remaining there, and on Monday,
we understood, Mr.. Howe had been search
ing for house intending to remove, with
his family.
During all of Monday night fragments Of
rock and earth were heard tumbling down
the mountain side, and another slide is look
ed for. A large fssure in the earth, foot
or more in width and upwards of quarter
of mile in length, exists still higher up the
mountain, into which all the water from the
melting snow above discharges itself. The
fssure extends through the graveyard, leav.
ing, in places, the coffins of the dead ex.
posed. Preparations are being made for dis.
iuterring the bodies.
The fiat underlying the impending slide,
on which good portion of the town stands
is entirely deserted. The loss is beyond es-
timatiOn.
Work in the tunnels has been suspended,
the miners being afraid to venture into
them, since the terrible calamity.
Sierra Democrat Extra.