Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1884-02-06
/ GALLANT RESCUE.
A FAMILY TAKEN FIR q n
UNDER A MOUNTAIN
AVALANCHE.
Three Days Buried In Wood.
fOrd's Canyon.

Three Days Buried In Wood
ford's Canyon.
Yesterday evening John Engle
bright who reached this city from
Woodford's Station brought the
news of q gallant rescue of family
of six persons found under a snow
slide in Woodford's Canyon. The
scene of the snow slide was the old
deserted shingle mill about half q
mile above Merk's toll house. and
two miles above Woodford's Sta
ton. Woodford's canyon is deep
and picturesque gorge in the noun
tains five or six miles long, and
leads into Hope Valley. In the
fall of the year family consisting
of man and his wife and four chill
dren came over the mountains
aud camped at the old single mill
in the canyon. They had plenty
of provisions, and the head Of the
family spent most of his time hunt
ing and fishing. They took pos
session of rude building on the
left. which had been used to store
feed and stable horses when the
mill was running years ago. The
season was very late, and although
repeatedly warned by Mr.. Merk. the
toll gate keeper. the family de
ceived by the pleasant WEATHER con-
tinaed to remain. After the first
snow the man, whose name was
Iaxwell came down to Woodford 5
and made arrangements to have
two horses taken care of during the
Winter. He sold he had no money
to pay for the feed at the time, but
would redeem them in the Spring.
He also said that he had made up
his mind to winter in the canyon,
rs he had provisions and game was
abundant. He was advised not to
take the risks, but be said the place
he was in was strong structure
and as it had given evidence Of
standing good many Winters, he
would risk it.
LAST FRIDAYS SNOW SLIDE.
On Thursday last there was
heavy fall of snow in the canyon
followed by sunny day on Fri
day During the day there were
several large slides of snow from
the rocks which rise on the sides
Of the canyon in some instances as
high as three hundred feet Heavy
bodies of snow toppled over from
these heights, and in the descent
carried away largo masses of rock
which felled the pines at the bottom
of the gorge. During the night Merk
heard several of Ties slides, and the
next day the road up the canyon
was checked with snow. On Sun
day he went up to the shingls mill
on snow shoes and found that the
place occupied by the family had
been
BURIED UNDER THE SNOW.
The slide had started on the steep
mountain side about two hundred
yards up the slope, and started a
number ef boulders in its course.
TIE track of the avalanche was
marked vii ID FRUSTRATED pines, and
the mass Of snow upon the log
structure lay packed hard to depth
of ten or fifteen feet. Sesing he
couli do nothing, Merh returned to
Wocdford's and soon raised force
of dozen or twenty men who went
up with shovels, pick and other ap-
pliances necessary to effect res
cue.
AHARD NIGHTS WORK.
The snow was packed so hard
that it was almost like solid rock
and required picks welded by stout
hands to loosen it. By night they
had reached the logs which formed
part CT the stable, and found that
that roof had been crushed in by a
boulder. By this time the force had
been augmented by fresh men and |
building a rousing fire in the snow,
they worked il four shifts of six
men each, each shift working an
hour. Woodford's Station was
drawn on for surclies, and with
plenty of food and stimulents the
men kept to their work steadily. |
During a portion of the time two
shifts worked at seperate places.
SIGNS OF LIFE
~