The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-02-09
UNDER THE SNOW.

tho north e Virginia City with lot or
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 man
found at the pOstOflce ! was on snow
sboea The winter had been severe, and
the snow was five or six feet deep on lie
level. The eth Of January had been
very balmy day, with Il warm sun ana
winl. aud on The morning OF the 18TH i
started
had To make ms way along the base
Of % ranre known TO IL then as Bills
Thumb. and ior this twelve miles there
vas ONLY one settler lie was an old
bachelor. who had built himself snug,
stout cabin under the caves Of the Thumb.
lie was hunter, miner, prospecior, tax
idermist. naturalist and ] don't Know
what else. some of The boys who had
met him had en- idea that he had soured
on The world. and hai come out there to
live q hermit he. hut he was chap who
kent 10 himself and would not allow any
one 70 question BIN. got along very
well for the first L,c miles, but then re-
allied TINT ] was 10 danger from snow
slides. The thlW had continued through
the night. and IL needed only a jar 10 send
The great masses Of snow lying on the
mountain ruen.ur down the slope with q
fore which nothing could stand. one
tcoa place behind ne which brought down
hundreds of tols, and "a pushed my
WAY forward all my senses were On the
alert FOR the first signal Of danger
When | had approached within pistol
shot OF the hcrmits cabin ! cav the man
himself about mile down the valley.
He was coming toward the house, but bad
a burden on his shoulder and was moving
slowly. Therefore. rs reached the cabin
/ stood AT the door 10 wait for him, think
iug he might wish me TO take Il letter or
do some crrand. lie was still half mile
away when 1 heard Il dull, heavy fau
away M the mountain above my head. !
knew IL was Il mass Of snow tumblng Off
the roc5s and thar u was the seed OF an
avalanche The sound Lad scarcely
reached ny ears when | wheeled 10 the
door. lifted the latch, and the next in
slant was inside was none too soon.
Almost every pound OF snow on a noun
tain SIDE 1000 feet high aud quarter Of
r. mile lone, WGs IN motion for the base.
B.. tA1A- NtNIA a. AN4 tARN~ AONNA tNN' ~ 'N'~~N~
son Of crashes as rocks aud trees were
caught up, end held my breath for what
was 70 happen The house trembled and
rocked, a thousand empty wagons seemed
70 rush over the roof, and then all was
midnight darkness, and the stiffness OF
tho grave settled down upon me
The house had been buried under an
avalanche It was Gods mercy that II
had not been swept away and torn log
from log. There was only small fire on
the hearth and before l moved | struck q
match to sec my way. After looking about
a bit found q candle. and then ! began
70 investigate the situation. On opening
the door found the snow packed solidly
In front Goiug 10 the single window
found every ray of light shut out. In the
room was bundle Of rods about as large
"a nv finger and nine feet long There
vere six Of them / seized one and thrust
It upward from the door but it did not 20
through the drift. | dashed another 10 1t,
and yet the length was not sufficient. |
dashed on a second and uow had at least
twenty-five clear feet of pole 10 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 forty rods long by fifty feet high.
This would stop the avalanche, and 1t was
more than likely that solid mass OF snow
forty rods long and twenty four feet deep
lay above me.
What had become of the hermit. There
WAC not one chance ia 1000 that he had
escaped The avalanche would block the
trail for weeks, and nj the very best II
would be some days before any one at our
camp would know that was In the hut.
If the hermit escaped ho would carry the
news II he was buried under the snow
might as well make mp my mind to re-
main prisoner until spring. | was IN a
bad box, and for the first half hour
quite lost my courage. Then, having
every reason 10 believe that must be
prisoner for many long days, | began TO
take an inventory Of stock, as IL were
There was a good bed of skins and blan-
kets. several cooking utensils q table and
several rough stools, clock, dozen or
more books about shirty candles, with
tea, coffee, sugar, pork and -four in guam
titles 10 last me several weeks | could
not have been better provided for had
planned for the avalanche 10 come There
WIRE n stAllp al Ali' pdNh fits VI tAS
hut, and looked into this 10 find II full
Of fuel | felt much more hopeful after
had taken the inventory. for ! could not
help but feel that 1t would be long before
saw daylight again
For several hours after the accident the
cabin sent forth suspicious sounds. The
snow was settling and packing above IT,
and raftcrs and logs cracked and snapped
in way to keep Ire on thorns. II the
weight on the roof proved too great |
should be crushed or smothered the mo
ment il fell IN. IL was after O'Clock in
the afternoon before felt safe But very
little snow had come down the chimney.
/ reasoned from this that it had been
covered By rocks or limbs. Ii such was
the case and the fire refused 10 burn ]
should be hard pressed with plenty Of
raw provisions at hand. felt all the
gravity Of the situation as | threw on
some light wood and made a blaze. II
was hard fight for half an hour. Some
Of the smoke certainly found way 70
escape, but some was driven back. How
ever, after time the heat ot the hrs