Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-02-18
miscellaneous.
HALF A MILE A MINUTE.
ARArrp AND PERILous DESCENT OF Snow
SHOES.

The l.eadvillc (Col.) Chronicle gives
the following account of the perilous jour-
ney of Mr.. +. G. McCandless. who made
the trip from Ute. City, in the Roaring
Fork district, to Leadville. on snow-shoes,
90 miles, in four days and a half.
.'The first Is niles occupied three days
of hard labor. and brought him to lnde-
pendence Camp. Two days Of this three
he was without food, having taken but one
days supply on starting The difficulties
in the road were appalling. Heavy. wet
SHOWS had laden the trees in the canon,
and soaked them full OF water. Cold
weather fioze them solid and strong winds
cracked them off their stumps like So
many matches. This caused the narrow
gulch to be completely filled with dense
brush or thicket of snow-ladcn branches.
The high. perpendicular and heavily-tim-
bered walls of the canon forbade any at
tempt to scale them and to pass this all
but insurmountable obstruction McCand-
less saw he must cut his way through
or return. lie chose the former course.
A light .'squaw axe" was his only tool.
and was almost useless, ms the wood was
nearly equal TO rock in hardness. He had
calculated on making Independence Camp
the first night. His provision was gone,
and there was nothing to do but toll on or
lie down and die. Night came on, dark
and cold Nowolves howled TO keep him
company, nor was the roar of the mouI-
tain lion heard Nothing broke the death
like silence save the sharp thud Of his lit
tie axe as he cut his way inch by inch and
foot by foot, through the gloomy deiile.
So passed the night. the day, the second
day; and late in the afternoon, McCaid-
less, haggard, pale, starving and COM
dletely worn out craw'ed up 10 the door
of cabin in Independence Camp. lie was
warmly welcomed and tenderly cared Tor
so that on the next morning he felt like
pursuing his way.
AFTER a hearty breakfast he started
again, reaching the foot of the range at
the head of Independence Gulch at $50
o'clock Tuesday morning. Another hoIr
took him 10 the summit. lie had n draw
knife with him, and he stopped to fix
his snow shoes. The edges were shaved
down and the pole was sharpened Then
securing everything about his person care-
fully. and bracing himself for the perlous
descent he made the start. The crust on
the snow was like ice and neither shoes
nor pole made any impression upon 1t.
This rendered any attempt at steering or
slowing up useless. and an idea of the
rapidtv with which that descent was made
may be had when we state that il was just
10 o'clock when he left the summit. and
four miles below. where he passed n cabin
he pulled out his watch, and il marked
seven minutes past, showing speed of
over mile in TIVE minutes. II was while
on this descent, and Mt the speed attained.
that McCandlcss passed through the most
imminent peril of the whole tip. As he
drew near to timber. a tall and sturdy
pine. fully three feet in diameter, loomed
up directly in his course. His hair stood
on end, as every effort to swerve TO one
side of it proved vain until when, within
few feet of the tree, the snow had be-
come a little softened by the sun. and a
slight grip was taken by the shoes and
pole. Expecting instant death, and with
the mentally uttered prayer of .Good-by,
Mac the man threw himself over until
his shoulder touched the snow. A sharp
zip and the tree was passed in safety.
From there on he used his legs with such
good effect that Twin Lakes were reached
at 5 O'Clock in the afternoon of Sunday.
McC cCandless having made 3s miles that
day. Monday morning. at 1880, he left
he was eating dinner at the Grant Hotel
in this city.
The snow-shoes on which this trip was
made are worthy Of mention. McCand-
less hewed them out himself at his cabin.
Their length is thirteen feet nine inches
each. while the guiding pole is thirteen
feet long. McCandless is an expert in
their use, having travelled, perhaps, thou
sands Of miles upon them. In addition
10 his travels in all the noteworthy min
ing regions Of America. he has visited
and mined in the gold fields Of Australia.
the diamond beds of Africa and other no
table foreign countries. lie unreservedly
declares. however, that his last trip, as
detailed above. is by far the hardest and
most perilous he has ever made. He will
return to Roaring Forks in few days by
| the same route and means.'