Delta chief., 1884-01-02
FATAL AyALANcHEs.
Terrible Loss Of Life and Property in
San juan County.

Eleven Men Buried Beneath q Snow Slide
on Mt. spefTels. ~
From Ouray comes the story of terri
rible affair, the result of recent spell Of mild
weather. Many snow slides have recently oc-
CURED but the following described fatality at
the Virginia mine wouu seen to have been the
worst Of the effects Uf the sudden thaw. The
Virginia mine, at which the sad accident oe-.
Cured, is owned by the Carolina Mining com
pany, of Boston, employs thirty-tive men,
and is one OF the mines of this vicinity worked
all the year round. II is situated above TIM
Der line, at the foot of SncfIels range, seven
miles from Ouray by trail On the afternoon
Of the 2lst, at 4 O'Clock, rs eleven men who
were then of duty were In the boarding and
bunk house, resting. huge mass Of snow
started from the top OF the range. II swelled
into an avalanche as II descended and frll up
on the building, sweeping II away and piling
tons OF snow upon the unfortunate tnen In.
side. buryiny them over fifteen feet deep, the
whole house being swept away like u feather.
The snow slide narrowly missed the engine
and other houses a- II fell, but left them un-
harmed. Ed. Boyle, the foreman Of the mine
was In the Office when the slide fell, but
escaped miracnloosly, and alarming the rest
Of the employees Of the mine, began dtrts.t and
vigorous efforts for the rescue OF the rlcycn
men buried Several hourr' labori0us aud cx-
hausting digging brought 10 the surface Ave Of
OF the eleven men alive, but severely bruised
ard crushed by the close packed snow. Cou-
tnuing the search four more were exhGmcsi
dead-eithcr killed outright by the ertlsh Of the
slide or suffocntcd by the dense SHOW. Thr
bodies Of the remaining two had not been
found when the messenger left the mine They
are. Of course dead. The six men Killed nre
Thomas Murvin. J. Fitzgerald. Robert Frazirf
w. IL. Carmichael, Charles Armstrong and
William Shicdlcr. All Of the Inflated men had
! friends in Ouray, and some of them bad fani.
Hes or relatives in the San Juan.
The terrible news created great excitement in
Ouray aud II. W. Reed the superintendent
of the Virginia left Immediately upon the
reception Of the intelligence for the seen. OF
the disaster, taking with him men, medical
supplies and u surgeon.
Following closely upon The .nd intel
lg.nce frorn ourny, on the 3ith. WIZ added
the story OF more disaster and death from tho
samc cAii-es In the San Juan. On the g3r,l,
about noon. slde came down. In Msrrhaii<
Basin, and carried on the shaft bou-e Of the l
Mcndois mine, containing foe,rt4sh men,
eight Of whom were killed outright, two were
| wounded, and four dug themselves uui- Tn.
telephone being injured by the frequent snos
slides, the news did not r-arh Telluride until
about 5 y. IN. J. ". McKr- and !. =. R-.idic, n
started at once To repair thr lines 10 the fninc9
which they sneceedca In doing stout 10 y. m.
large body of fnen lef, town. the following
morning; for the scene Of the accident
The noaS ioiS~lng n1med n pc.son. ,,n se,e Killed
I
Willism TAYLOR, John Davis, William Apple
white. =. Slater and Lrwis Huckins. The latter
lived atoLt ten or twelve bours after being 10
ken out
Tom Whca,icy was found about twelve feet
under the snow with his leg broken. but stiii
alive and u IL thought Thai he will survive. He
WAS buried forfy-six hours
Two men, Fred Farquha.an and yames Burns,
were found to-day by George Rohiver in the
Cold Bug cabin. dead. A slide struck the
cabin ON the 2is, and moved Il siDui one hun
drcd feet.
Two men killed ON the Nevada mine, near
ophir, were named James Gurfer and -
Peck.
From ailvcron. on the asih. came dispatcher
telling the story Of the destruction Of t.ie-
phone wires and other property. Near the head
OF Clement Greek, Bret Wails. miner, Wa
buried In slide, and near 1rrnton two un-
known men were caught and carried fifteen
hundred feet down the mountain. When cy.
trartcd from the mas Of Ice snd,~now IN which
they were imprisoned for twenty four hours.
they werc frozen frum the waist down, the desh
opening tn seams, besides being terribly brui-
cd. Neither can recover.
Jcn Carpenter. the mail carrier between herr
and ophir. started ON his trip on the 2isi, and
should have returned on the followiug isy.
Nothing has been heard from him since, nndli
is about certain that he periehcd In the storm.
On the 18th a dispatch from Alma said:
snow slide and wind storm occurred near Mont
gomery on the night of the I'D. In which John
Hcadstroui, John Ahlrtrom and John Ling
were carried half mile. John AhIetro,n and
John Ling were found sitting In the snow this
afternoon. nearly dead and badly frozen. The
cabin WAS swept away. John Hcatlstrom has
not been found. II IA rtnrminR terribly. y.
that little can be done. PARTIES hsvc just left
here 20 search for John flesdstrosn.