The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-01-22
coon STORIES OF uHs PRESENT DA..
Buried Ferry Feet Deep By a. Avsis.ehe-
Five Weeks Usder the Snow.

SSO $500
Buried Ferry Feet Deep b "a Avsia,ehe-
Five Weeks Usder the Snow.
was coming out Of the mountains to the
north OF Virginia CITY with q lot Of miners
mail strapped on my back. There was no reeu-
lar mail route there then. but about onco a
month some one took the letters down and re-
turned with any mail found at the Post once.
I was on snow shoes. The winter had been
severe. and the snow was five or six feet
deep on the level. Tho 9th OF January had
been a very bnlmy day. with a warm sun and
wind, and on the morning Of the 2sth 1 started.
1 had to make my way along tho base OF q
range known to us then as Bills Thumb. and
for this twelve miles there was only one settler.
He was an old bachelor who had built himself
a snug. stout cabin under the caves Of the
Thumb. He was hunter, miner, prospector.
taxidermist. naturalist. and l don't know what
IN idea that he had soured on the world, and
come out there to live q hermit lie; but he was
a chan who kept to himselt and would Noo.al not
very we'll for the first i've miles. but then .reai-
lied that was In danger from snow slides.
and 1t needed only a jar to send tho great
masses OF snoy lying on the mountain rush
could stand. One took place behind me- which
pushed my way forward all my senses we're or
When l had approached within pistol shot Of
the hermit,s cabin saw tho man himself
Ing toward the house. but had a. burden on his
SHOULDER, and was moving slowly: Therefore.
as / reached ta. bed, the as cabin st9 niat at the the door to
half a mile away when heard a dull, heavy
knew it was. a mass OF SNOW tunblinG of the
rocks, and that 1t was the seed 81 an avalanche.
The M sS y haa IL s0a sSe d Esnshf ii1,e ny t inss i whSn
and the next instant was inside. I was
none too soon, Al I every pound q snow on
base. 1t came with q terrible roar and a sue
e eSSsGt u 2, s Srds I Sei a. my rVf Grsat ana Tor tr %Hst w was
to happen. The house trembled and rocked, a
thousand empty wagon seemed 70 rush over
and the stiffness Of the grave settled down
upon me.
The house had been buried under an ava
lnnche. It was Gods mercy that 1t had not
Sssn o sTep p s MAY an End o tori fRI log Gs i ! l Saa b Thore
looking t%EiiTs. about e,rp q BIT m I ionnd i a ' candle ID "" and them them
I began to Investigate the situation. On open
front TT Going to the single W window found every
ray of light shut out. In the room was a bundle
1 ise FG ians So? The as l seTs s e N ny yb t,nseiF s sna n dns
and thrust 1t upward from the door. but 1t did
not 60 through the drift. ! dashed another to
dashed on a second. and now. had at least
twenty-five clear feet Of pole to probe with.
IRON Of os' tie ea bin q and about eoa lp1 aoo i asatsa away ~
by fifty feet high. This would stop the ave-
solid mass Of snow forty rods long and twenty
four feet deep lay above me.
not one chance In a thousand that he had es;
for weeks, and at the very best it would Be
know that / was in the hut. II the hermit es-
cared, he would carry tho news. II no was
! was in a bad box, and for the ilrst half hour
r I asi1s TO toS be Ry sq thas I must sh So a hn prissne eyf iy
Rsn9Sry 7o :1f st ssfs' as t ss sePe; 10 T snes WAS 'n a
Ing utensils, a table and several rough stools, a
clock, n dozen or more books. about thirty
candles; with :, ten = coffee !, ms snGa1' r porkk; and o ilUpf
not nave been better provided for had planned
for the avalanche to come. There, was a lean
this to lind it tuIi Of fuel. j felt much more
hop;sdfu la after bd, / had hat tai taken mt the 2, in w",,1a Z: for
For several hours after the acclden the cabin
sent forth suspicious sounds. The snow was
on thorns. II the weight on tho roof proved TOO
AFTERNOON before 1 felt safe. But worry little
snow had come down, the chimney; I reasoned
from this that 1t had been covered By rocks or
fused to burn n S" Should be hard, pressed with
threw on some ilsht.Tood and made 2
s s1a hour. It Soma mss Of { tho s smote t] isas ieE foun nri.
way to escape. but. but some was driven back.
However, after time the heat Of the fire
that I could scarcely keep a flame going-and
about half past 1 o'clock the cabin was cleared
IL fisS y11 tbat Mhsl'e m I efh' Of n the te ehi i'm 1est sSow Ssi
above the snow. I was satisfied that some way
had been opened for tho smoke to drive away.
tops lodged on the roof before the bulk OF that
snow came. and these held tho snow up so that
the smoke went sailing about In n hundred
/ got myself some supper, wound IN the
clock. and sat down for a smoke, and a think:
Ing Of gratitude to God for, the comforts Mt
P psriac Wss s apefFdq that Il ' WAS p BURIED d ! Tas an nHw
t tss 81 spS %ssr rsd T 5has H. flfst rG moTe w Was 10 C write i m out
where it would 10 preserved and found in case
of my death. Tlen began II daily journal,
H". n"t H' weeks imprlsonmens would DO
DO doi To Fl the mind dwell eP the sltustIaS: {SS
w NSp, an SDi awful thhIns to think q: The h;er%it's
CLOCK WIS IN OIu-ldbHlOneu .Ouo, VIII u iouu
tick-tack. and aftor the cabin got through
settling under the weight OF the snow every
tick sounded almost as loud as the blow Of 4
hammer It was SO warm that l needed only
the smallest fire, and when ! went to bed ut 0
o'clock there was no need OF even a single
blanket for cover.
was up at an early hour next morning, hav-
ing slept like a log all night. and while eating
breakfast was startled by sounds which l be.
lieved to be the voice Of a human being.
thought | could hear Rroans and means and
cries for helm, and when | opened the door tho
sounds same to me more distinctly. It might
BIO that the hermit, caught under the snow. had
succeeded in tunnellipg his WAY to a point from
no sooner despatched my breakfast than ] sGt
about making me a shovel to die with.
ened. a board, and, the, snow l dug from
the, doorway hoaped up IN the fuel room.
made he discovery That tho lrst rush q the
small trees. bushes. and rocks. with here and
there a large tree. They had boon piled mr.
helter-skelter. but they held up the mass Of
snow 81 that With q little digging ! could run 9
necessary. however. ms tho burden above was
very heavy. and the displacement Of u support
rjcht hrinu down n prent weight OF SNOW.