The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-02-04
BIG AVALANCHES.
A Colorado Gentleman Describes the DAN
gers OF SnOw-sllps.

k'iS Va "-ohPSs
George w. Seaver. Of Aspen, Col.
in conversation with a reporter, SAID:
"Just before left home we had the
first Of our winter pests. / refer TO
snow slides. In Colorado there are two
distinct kinds Of snow-slips-the snow
slide and the avalanche. The snow
slide occurs when dry fall of snow
has covered the steep sides of the
mountains and passes. The snow un-
der these conditions literally slides un-
ill it strikes lower or more level space.
Such n disturbance is inconvenient, as
it blocks wagon and rail roads, but is
seldom attended with disastrous consc-
quences. as the snow is so light and
soft that it divides on encountering
any obstacle, such as house. withou
carrying il away. Its motion, al, -
so gradual, that man in its track can
easily find means Of getting out Of the
way, and even if he were caught could
escape without injury.
"The avalanche, on the other hand,
Mr. Seavcr went on TO say, ''is far
more dangerous For the formation OF
an avalanche snow more or less moist
is necessary, and also n hard-frozen
base upon which the snow rests. A
heavy fall succeeding a cold snap is
nearly certain TO occasion avalanches,
and these are most disastrous. Instead
of slipping slowly and easily along in "A
soft, porous mass, the snow balls and
rushes down the mountain side with ir-
resistible force and at a terrific speed.
Trees and rocks are torn up and incor-
poratcd in the rushing mass, and what
ever comes in its way has to yield I'm
like the snow-slidc, the avalanche
when once it has gathered headway is
not stopped by any level space of or
dinary extent. but rushes across plain
several hundred yards in width and
plunges down the mountain side be-
yOnd When an avalanche occurs in
the ncighborhood of pass the snow
usually fills it up to depth 81 from
forty to fifty feet, and is not cleared
out until spring, unless IA very large
force of men is put to work to make n
pathway. IL is no uncommon thing for
a mining camp 10 be cut off from COM
municaton with the outside world for
weeks at a time by one of these
avalanchcs, and the suffering
from want of food and fuel is often eX-
tremc The only way to establish
communication is by a line of couriers
on snow-shoes, and these men are in
constant danger of their lives, rs in
passing along the track OF an avalanche
the least noise on motion is likely to
start another, and dozens of lives are
thus lost every year The short, broad
Canadian snow-shoe is never used by
the couriers, rs this pattern is only
good on level ground, All mail-car-
ricrs and couriers are equipped with
the Norwegian snow-shoe, "a strip of
wood about eight feet long and two
inches wide. This gives firm sup
port on the lightest snow. and is splen-
did for coasting have seen snow
shoe men come down n slope at the
rate of nearly mile a minute, and run
fully n hundred yards on the level be-
fore losing their impetus. | am con-
vinCed that the best and most daring
snow-shoe men in the world are found
among the mining camps of the Rocky
Mountains, but in spite of their skill
scores of them are lost every year
frozen to death or overwhelmed by
avalanches-and it is a wonder to me
how so many men arc willing to volun-
tecr for the most hazardous duty of
crossing the avalanchc-covered passes
in winter ST. LoatS Post Dispatch