The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-03-14
UNDER AN AVALANCHE.

was coming out of the mountains t.
the north of irginia City with lot O
miners mail strapped on my back. Their,
was no regular mail route there then
but about once Il month some one took
the letters down and returned with any
mail found at the Postotlice. was on
snow shoes. The winter had beer
severe, and the snow was five or six feet
deep on the level. The eth of January
had been a very balmy day, with warn
sun and wind, and on the morning OF
the 2>th started.
had to make my way along the base
OF range known to us then as Bills
Thumb, and for this twelve miles there
was 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, pros.
pector, taXidermist, naturalist, and ]
don't know what else. Some of the
boys who had met him had an idea that
he had soured on the world, and come
out there to live hermit life, but he was
a chap who kept to himself and would
not allow any one to question him. /
got along very well for the first five
miles, but then realized that was in
danger from snow slides. The thaw had
continued through the night, and il
needed only n Jar to send the great
masses OF snow lying on the mountain
rushing dc Nn the slope with n force
which moth NC could stand. One took
place behind me which brought down
hundreds of tons, and as | 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 hermlt's cabin | saw the man
himself about mile down the valley.
He was coming toward the house, but
had burden on his shoulder and was
moving slowly. Therefore, as reached
the cabin | stood at the door to wait for
him, thinking he might wish me to take
letter or do some errand. He was still
half mile away when heard dull,
fall away up the mountain above nv
head. | knew it was mass of snow
tumbling off the rocks, and thar it was
the seed of an avalanche. The sound
had scarcely reached my ears when |
wheeled to the door, lifted the lat h, and
the next instant was inside. | was none
too soon. Almost every pound of snow
on a mountain side thousand feet high
and a quarter of a mile long was in mo-
tion for the base. Ii came with a tel
rible roar and a succession of crashes as
rocks and trees We: :e caught up, and |
held my breath for what was TO happen.
The house trembled and rocked, thou
sand empty wagons seemed to rush over
the roof, and then all was midnight dark
ness, 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 tom log
from log. There was only a small fire on
the hearth, and before | moved struck
a match to see my way. After looking
about bit found a candle, and then
began to investigate the situation. On
opening the door / found the snow
packed solidly in front Going to the
single window found every ray of light
shut out In the room was a bundle Of
rods about as large as my linger and nine
feet long. There were six of them |
seized one and thrust it upward from the
door but it did not go through the drift.
lashed another to it, and yet the length
was not sufficient. lashed on second,
and now had at least twenty five clear
feet Of pole to probe with, and l believed
the upper end found daylight In front
of the cabin, and about 200 feet away,
was great mass OF bare rock forty rods
long by fifty feet high This would stop
the ava anche, and it was more than likely
that solid mass of snow forty rods long
aud tw nty-four feet deep lay above me.
What had become of the hermit There
wa not one chance in a thousand that
he had escaped. The avalanche would
block the trail for weeks, and at the very
best it would be some days before any
one at our camp would know that | was
in the hut. If the hermit escaped he
would carry the news. II he was buried
under the snow, might as we'll make up
my mind to remain a prisoner until
spring. was in bad box, aud for the
frat half hour I quite lost my courage.