The Russellville Democrat., 1884-06-05
ELEVENTH YEAR.---NO. 20.
Colorado Winters.


 Colonel Bachtell, one of the owners of the three Warrior Mines near Sco- field, Gunnison County, Col, who has just returned from the mine, gave a graphic account of winter above tim ber-line." A very careful record has been kept by Judge Bridges, of Scofeld, concerning the snowfall there during the past three years. During the win- ter of 183l-82 there were thirty-one storms, and an aggregate snowfall of twenty-five feet four inches. The greatest average depth of snow at any one time was seven feet During the winter of lS82-S3 there were forty storms, with total snowfall of twen- ty-eight feet three inches. On April 10 the snow was seven feet deep. Dur ing the present winter there have been eighteen storms up to January 8. with total snowfall of seventeen feet two inches.
 The snow is deeper now than at this time in any former year within the knowledge of Judge Bridges. Persons living in lower attitudes may wonder why with such great snow-falls the snow is never greater than seven or eight fest This is due to the lightness of the snow when it first falls A foot of snow in the mountains will settle to three or four inches within few days. The people in the mining camps man. age to en. .oy themselves these days in a very pleasant way snow-shoeing, a sport which is said to be better than either coasting or skating The snow shoes used are not the Indian or Cana dian snow shoes, but the Norwegian shoes or ..skees.'' The skee is long piece of strong, tough wood about four inches wide, smoothly polished on the under side and rubhel with beeswax, furnished with band for the foot in the middle, pointed at the front end and bent upward. A long staff is used to regulate the speed in going down hill.
 Colonel Bachtelrs description of the late snow-slide at the Sylyanite Mine: The buildings consist of the boarding house, 16x24 feet, and the blacksmith shop and ore-house of the same size. The houses are divided by the track that runs from the tunnel Their first intimation of danger was on Friday evening, during the heavy storm. The men in the cabin heard terrible roar ing coming, and. knowing it to be slide. most of them ran into the covered way that separates the buildings and then into the tunnel The slide rushed upon the strong log buildings, shaking them terribly. and 1t seemed as if they must be ground from their strong foun- dations by the tremendous weight of snow and ice that was grinding and crunching its way across the log roof. The s.des were moved and the roof was sprung down several inches. Then all was dark and still. The gas and smoke from the stove was fast filling the room. aud all attempts to let in fresh air were blocked by the snow.
 With snow-shoe poles the men began to punchup through the stove-p;pe hole for air. By driving one pole after an other hole was finally made through the snow, which they found to be about fifteen feet deep and packed nearly as hard as ice. As the storm still ragged. every little while the roar of other slides could be heard, many of them passing overhead, closing mp the air holes. Whenever slide ran over them, there was great danger of the great mass of snow on the roof moving If it did the chances were that it would either crush or grind the building to pieces. Realizing this, and not being able to re- main long in the tunnel on account of lack of air. when they heard an ap- preaching slide, l ke prairie dogs, the whole eleven would rush into the tun- mel, where they were safe. This was kept up for forty-eight hours. when finally silence told them the storm was over. Digging out was the next thing. By following their tra k to the dump and running the snow back into the tunnel a drift of thirty feet was run and daylight, the first for two days, was seen The reason the buildings were not swept away was an excavation was made in the side of the mountain so as to bring the roofs below the level of the mountain side. - Cincinnati C0mnser- cia.- Gazette.