Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-20
BURIED ALIVE BY SNOW.
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES OF A
FAMILY IN NEVADA.

ehluresome Rescuers Dig them Out
After Three Days of imprisonment
Starvation just Overcoming them
when the Aid ArriYed-Nursing the In
mates Back to Life.
Last evening, says the Carson Nevada
Appeal of February 9th, John Engel.
bright who reached the city from Wood
ford's Station, brought news of the gallant
rescue of a family Of six persons found
under snow-slide in WoOdford's canon.
The scene of the snow-slide was an old
deserted shingle mill about half a mile
above Merk's dollhouse, and two miles
above WOOdford's Station. Woodford,s
canon is deep and picturesque gorge in
the mountains, five or six miles long, and
leads into Hope Valley. In the fall of last
year a family, consisting of a man and his
vile and four children, came over the noun
talns and camped at the old shingle mill
IN the canon. They had plenty of pro-
visions, and the head of the family spent
most OF his time IN hunting and fishing.
Iney look possession of a rude building
on the left, which had been used to store
Ieeu anu sIaDle 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,
uecelVed by the pleasant weather. con
tlhued TO remain. After the first snow
Ihe man, whose name was Maxwell came
down to WO0dfOrd's and made arrange
ments to have two horses taken care of
during the winter. He said he had no
money to pay for the feed at the time. but
@ @Woulu redeem them in the spring. He
also sald that he had made up his mind TO
winter IN the canon, as he had provisions
ana game was abundant. He was adj
Vlsed not to take the risks, but he said the
place ne was IN was a strong structure
ana as IL mad given evidence of standing
good many winters, he would risk it.
On thursday last there was heavy
Iail OF snow IN the canon, followed by a
sunny day on Friday. During the dav
there were several large slides of snow
from the rocks, which rise on the sides of
the canon in some instances as high as
0OO 1eet. Heavy bodies of snow tOppled
over from these heights, and in their de-
scent carried away large masses of rock,
which felled the pines at the bottom of
the gorge. During the night Merk
heard several of these slides, and
the next day the road up the
canon was choked with snow. On Sunday
he went up to the shingle mill on snow
shoes, and found that the place oc-
cupled by the family had been buried
under the snow. The slide had started on
the steep mountain side about 200 Yards
up the slope, and started a number of
DOulders In its course. The track of the
avalanche was marked with prostrated
pines, and the mass of snow upon the log
structure lay packed hard to the depth OF
~ or 10 feet. Seeing he could do nothing
Merk returned to WOOdford's and soon
raised a force of dozen or twenty men.
VINO went up with shOvels, picks and
other appliances to effect rescue.
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 OF the stable, and found that
that roof had been crushed in by boulder.
by this time the force had been augment
ed by fresh men, and building a rOusing
nre IN the snow, they worked in four
shifts of six men each, each shift working
an hour. WO0dford's station was drawn
on for supplies, and with plenty of food
and stlmulants the men kept to their work
steadily. During a portion of the time
two shifts worked at separate places.
At little before II O'Clock the work
men cleared away place where they
reached one of the logs which formed a
portion of the wall of the stable. They
hammered on this with an axe and wait
ed for an answering knock. While they
Waltedand listened with intense interest
one of them vowed he could hear faint
taps from within, but the others doubted.
The log was again struck with the axe.
ana this time there came several distinct
knocks, and the outsiders broke into a
cheer that made the old canon ring.
by midnight they had cut through the
log, but it was hard work, as the snow
was packed close about it, and the
hole made was not over few
inches wide at the lower end. When the
edge OF the axes went through they called |
at the aperture and were answered bv a /
voice, For Gods sake push in something /
10 eat; my children are dying" In a I
moment bread, meat and a small flask of 1
brandy were pushed through the aperture.
and the Wearied t0ilers In the snow sprang |
to the work and made fresh attack upon I
the log which imprisoned six people. I
They cleared away the snow several feet /
above, and it was 3 O'clock in the morn /
ing before they cut through the log. about |
six feet above the first cut. Then there /
came fear that the place between /
the two cuts would fall inward and /
crush the family. The second hole, how /
ever, gave better chance of cOmmunica- /
tion, and Maxwell said that if they would /
get candle into him he would tell where /
the log would fall. A candle was taken /
from lantern and given to him. with /
matches tied to it. In few moments the /
glow of the light was seen from the out /
side, and this light must have been Verv
welcome to the Maxwell family, as they
had been in total darkness since Friday /
night, when the avalanche struck the sta
BILE. He soon called out to push the log
inward, but it was fast and required con- /
siderable prying with crowbars before it |
yielded.
Those nearest the aperture followed the /
log and climbed in through the opening /
with lanterns. There, in a space about I
ten teet square, was Maxwell and his /
family. His wife was lying on mattress |
and some blankets, with young child in |
her arms, and three others clincing to her
and crying bitterly. When the lantern
shone on their faces they put their hands
to their eyes and turned away in fear.
The woman was hardly able to move. and
Maxwell, who had kept a stout heart all
through the long days and nights of dark
ness, gave out at this point and cried like
a child. Chester, the oldest bov.
who IS but years of age, had
worked with his father To get out.
and was worn out with hunger and ex-
haustion. There were two lOaves of bread
within reach after the roof of the stable
fell in, and the little fellow refused to
touch a morsel, giving all to his mother
and sisters. This was all the mother, the
baby, and two daughters-Mary and Cal
and 6 years respectively, had
to live on from Friday afternoon. when
they last took dinner, until abOfit mid
night on Sunday. There was plenty of
flour and some game in the place, but the
logs OF the root, which were crushed in,
cut off communication from these.
Maxwell and his son had
yainly endeavOred to cut way
through a three-fOot log with a Iack
knife The inmates of the terrible prison
house were taken in sleighs to Wood
ford's, where they were soon as comfort
able as warm fires, good provisions. and
kind attention could make them. When
Mr.. Engelbright left WoOdford's on Mon
day afternoon, they were all doing well,
and were the recipients of all the atten-
ton that the little camp could bestow.
Mr.. Merk, the honest old German who
keeps the toll-gate, and who first found
the Maxwell family, is now the biggest
man in the canon.
BILLS AND CHECKS.
When They Were First Used in the