Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-09-07
Forty Feet Under Snow.
The Experience ora Western Mail Agent.

lot OF miners mail strapped on my
back. There was no regular mail
route there then, but about once a
month some one took the letters
down and returned with any mail
found at the postoffice. I was on
snow shoes. The winter had been
severe, and the snow was five or six
feet on the level. The 9th of Janu-
airy had been a very ba1ny day with
a warm sun and wind, and on the
morning of the 28th / started.
had to make my way along the
base of a range known to us then as
Bills Thumb, and for this twenty
miles there was only. one settler. He
was an old bachelor who had built
himself asnug, stout cabin under the
caves Of the Tumb. He was hunter,
miner, prOspectOr. ta1idermist,
naturalist, and I don't know what
else. Some Of the boys who had met
him had an idea that he had soured
on the world, and came out here to
live d hermit life, but he was a chap
who kept to himself and would not
allow any one so question him. I
got along very well for the first five
miles, but then I realized that I was
IN danger rom snow slides. The
thaw had continued through the
night, and it needed only a lar to
send the great masses Of snow lying
on the mountain rushing down the
slope with a force that nothing could
stand. One took place behind me
which pushed down hundreds of tons,
and as 1 pushed my way forward all
my senses were on the alert for the
first signal of danger.
When L had approached within
pistol shot Of the hermit's cabin I
saw the man himself about q mile
down the valley. He was coming to-
ward the house, but had a burden on
his shoulder and was moving slowly.
Therefore, as l reached the cabin I
stood at the door to wait for
him, thinking he might wish
me so take q letter or do some errand.
He was still half a mile away when
L heard a dull, heavy fall away
up the mountain above my head. [
knew it was q mass Of snow tumbling
OFF the rocks, and that it was heseed
| Of an avalanche. The sound had
scarcely reached my ears when l
wheeled to the door, lifted the latch,
and the next instant was inside. I
was none too soon. Almost every
pound Of snow on q mountain side
/ 1000 feet high and a quarter of a
mile long was in motion for the base.
| 1t came with q terrible roar and a
/ succession Of crashes as rocks and
| trees were caught up, and I held my
/ breath for what was to happen. The
! house trembied and rocked, q thOus-
! and empty wagons seemed to rush
! over the roof, and then all was mid
| night darkness, and the stiffness of
| the grave settled down upon me.
The house had been buried under an
| avalanche. 1t was Gods mercy that
/ it had not been swept away and torn
! log from log. There was only a small
| fire on the hearth, and before I moved
! l struch a match to see my way.
! After looking about a bit found a
/ candle, and I began to investigate
! the situation. On opening the door
| L found the snow packed sOidly in
/ front. Going to the single window, I
[ found every ray Of light shut out.
/ In the room was a bundle of rods
/ about as large as my finger and nine
/ feet long. There were six Ofthem. I
I seized one and thruStit upward from
the door, but it did not go through
| the drift. dashed another to it, and
! yet the length was not sufficient. 1
! dashed on a second, and now had at
/ least % feet clear of pole to probe
with, and believed the upper end
/ found daylight. In frOnt of the cabin,
and about 200 feet away, was a
/ great mass Of bare rock 40 rods long
! by so feet high. This would stop the
! avalanche, and it was more than
/ likely that a solid mass of snow 40
+ rods long and "A feet deep lay above
me.
What had became Of the hermit.
7 There was not one chance in q thou
/ sand that he had escaped. The ava
/ lanche would block thetrail for weeks,
/ and at the very bestit would be some
/ days before anyone at our camp
/ would know that 1 was in the hut
/ If the hermit escaped, he would carry
/ the news. If ne was buried under the
/ snow, / might as well make up my
mind to remain a prisoner until
/ spring. 1 was in a bad box, and for
/ the first halt hour 1 quite lost my
/ courage. Then, having every reason
/ to believe that I must be a
/ prisoner for many long days,
I began to take an inven-
( tory Of stock, as it were. There was
/ a good bed Of skins and blankets,
/ several cooking utensils, d table and
/ several rough stools, a clock, a dozen
/ or more books, about 80 candles,
with tea, coffee, sugar, pork and -four
/ in quantities to last me several weeks.
] ] could not have been better provided