News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-06-04
UNDER AN AVALANCHE.
DETAILS OF TIE SEARCH FOR THE
ENTOMBED COLORADO MINERs.

DETAILS OF THE SEARCH FOR THE
ENTOMBED COLORADO MINERs.
Their Absence from Town Leads TO the
Discovery of Their Awful Fate.
A letter from Colorado gives the full
story Of the disastrous snow slide In the
Tennessee Pass, between Leadville and
Red Cliff, COL, brief references to which
have been made in recent dispatches
from Denver. The letter says:-
''We have just had terrible disaster
in this neighborhood, which has caused
the death of ten persons. About six
miles west of here, and in plain sight.
is lofty range of mountains which rises
many hundred feet above the level of
Rrborescence. Up in this range and on
the side OF high peak known as the
Home Stake Peak is located the Home
Stake Silver Mine. 1t is one of the
Oldest mines in this part Of the country.
having been opened some fifteen wears
ago. About December / last party of
ten young men procured lease of this
mine and moved in supplies of provis.
ions, clothing, ammunition and tools to
last them through the winter.
ga few days ago some friends OF these
men, who live in Leadyille. began 20
think that considerable time had
elapsed since any of the boys at Home
STAKE had been in town. So two of
these friends concluded to 60 out the
next day (Friday, April 24) and carry
their mail. of which there was an accu-
mutation at the Leadville Post-ofice.
They arrived about noon at or near the
spot where they supposed the mine to be
located, and finding no habitation or
sign OF life, thought they must have
missed their way and failed to find the
proper place. Rsturning, they stopped
at the first house on their way to Lead
Vile, and informed the proprietor there
that they had failed to find the mine
and the habitation OF their friends, and
must have missed their way. The pro-
prietor. however, being well acquainted
With the location of the mine and build
ngs connected Herewith, was quite
'ure, from descriptions given, that the
had been at the spot where
he habitation should be found. He at
'nce came to the conclusion that the
at the mine had been swept
way by snow slide and all the parties
living there killed, and determined to go
'arly next morning and see for himself.
afQrfa6 o.
'lace, which is eight miles from the
nine, and arriving two hours later
where he knew the house should be,
ould see no vestiges of it.
Returning to his home he came to
own Immediately and telegraphed to
'ersons in Lesdville the result of his
earch, and asked that men be sent next
ay with proper tools to dig in the deep
now for the missing miners.
''The evening of the day that it be-
anne known that the miners we're miss
lg I sent out four men to make search
Or them, thinking that they might only
ave been entombed few days before,
nd that possibly some of them might
e found alive. This party arrived at
he place where the miners dwelling
ad stood at ten p. m, but could find
o traces of it or its inhabitants. They
ound the ore house intact, but its door
rays were so filled with snow that they
ould not gain an entrance through
hem. They succeeded in getting in by
'reaking window, and were satisfied
hat no one had been there for many
weeks. They reported to me the next
morning that the place had evidently
'een deserted many weeks before. The
anne evening large searching and
esculng party was organized in Lead
lille, at whose disposal the railroad
placed a special trein.
The searching party was joined dong.
he road by quite number of men, and
about one hundred in all went to the
Icene OF the supposed disaster. One
member of the party knew the exact
pot where the house should be, and
hey commenced digging in the deep
now Immediately upon their arrival.
When they had dug down some twelve
eet they came to the roof of the house,
which had fallen in and killed the In
mates.
From the ruins they exhumed ten
odles, all In an advanced state Of de-
As the dead miners were
Il clad in their night clothes it was evil
ent that the calamity which put an end
} their earthly career overlook them
raped in slumber. A sealed letter
as found on the table in the room in
hich all the bodies were discovered,
dressed to a girl in Ohio, cousin OF
e writer. This letter was dated Feb
Iary 20 and states that the writer had
it the evening before closing
This goes to prove that the unfor-
mate miners had been entombed more
ian two months before they were
und."