The Dillon tribune., 1882-03-04
The Snow Slide Victims.

On Friday evening the party Of men
who went to rescue the Taggert family
from the snow slide, returned to Argenta
with the bodies Of Mr.. Taggert, his wife
and five children, having dragged them
FIVE miles on rawhides over the snow.
When the party reached Argenta they
were well-nigh exhausted with cold and
fatigue. There were fifteen men all told
In the party, which left Argenta on Thurs.
day afternoon. On arriving at the spot
where the cabin had been, they found it
entirely covered with snow. The scene
of the disaster Is one OF the widest spots
In the canyon. 1t is simply a deep gorge
with the sides rising 50 precipitously that a
man cannot climb to the top OF the ridge
except by taking \ zigzag course. From
the head Of the stream which runs through
the canyon to the top Of either ridge il
about a mile, while the distance between
the peaks is not over q half a mile. The
course Of the slide was plainly marked. A
vast body OF snow amounting to several
thousand tons had broken away from the
apex of the ridge and gone down tie steep
rocky side of the mountain, striking with
terrific force at the bottom of the canyon
and packing almost as hard as ice with it.
own momentum. The level space at the
bottom of the canyon was about one hun.
drej yards wide. The snow filled the entire
space and damned the creek. Work al
once commenced on the arrival Of thu
party, who finding the snow packed sc
hard that It had to be broken with picks
gave up all hopes Of finding the occupants
Of the cabin alive. After about two hours
work the roof Of the cabin was reached
It had been torn off the cabin with a Dor
ton Of the logs. A little more digging
reached the upper logs Of the cabin, ane
the men with the picks now began to work
with more care, expeI ting at any moment
to come upon tine bodies. Presently {
bed quilt was reached, ana when the snow
was cleared awav the bodies could be fell
under the clothes. They proved to be NJ,
Iaggart and his wife lying side BY side
| When the snow was cleared away from
their faces It was plain to all that deatt
had ovcrtaken them in the night A littl.
baby lay between, close to its mother,
breast, where It seemed still to be nursing
The bodies were taken out and laid in raw
hides In TIE snow. In ah,ut a half ar
hour enough snow was cleared awav t.
hnd the other bodies. There were fou
children, all in bed as il asleep, packed
under about eight feet Of snow nearly a
hard As rock. None Of the bodies had an,
external injuries except the father VIII
was slightly bruised by falling timber
The bodies were wrapped in rawhides an,
securely bound. Ropes were then attach
ed and they were dragged over the snow
to Argenta, after which they were take,
on sieds to the mouth Of the canyon.
The slide had taken off the root. afte
which the snow had packed in upon tn
sleeping occupants Of the cabin. NJ
rocks or tin'be, came down with the slide
as the rock was bare from top to bottom
1t must have come down as swift a)mos
as lightning, and as noiselcss in its descen
as the flakes Of snow when they first fr
from the clouds. 1t is doubtful il the viz
Tins Of the disaster ever woke at all afte
falling asleep on the evening Of their dealt
Is. l.. Tribune Of Feb .6.h.