The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-02-16
UNDER AN AVALANCHE.
a Five Weeks imprisonment In q
Log Cabin.

to the north of Virginia City with 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 re-
turned with any mail found 1T the
post-ofiice. | was on snow shoes
The winter had been severe, and the
snow was five or six feet deep on the
level. The 27th of January had been
q very balmy day, with warm sun
and wind, and on the morning Of the
28th started
| had to make my way along the
base OF range known to us then rs
Bills Thumb. and for this twelve miles
there was only one settler. He was
an old bachelor who had built him self
q snug. stout cabin under the caves of
the Thumb He was hunter, miner,
prospector, .axidermist, 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 a hermit life,
but he was chap who kept to HIM
self and would not allow any one to
question him. got along very well
for the first five miles, but then real
lied that was in danger from snow
slides. The thaw had continued
through the night, and it needed only
= jar to send the great masses of snow
lying on the mountain rushing down
the slope with force which nothing
could stand. tine 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
snot of the hermit cabin saw the man
himself about a mile down the valley.
He was coming toward the house. but
had burden on his shoulder and was
moving slowly Therefore. as Preached
the cabin. / stood at the door to wait
for him, thinking he might wish me to
take letter or do som, errand. He
was still half mile away when l
heard dull, heavy fall away up the
mountain above my head / knew it
was a mass Of snow tumbllng off the
rocks and that it was the seed 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 / was none too
soon. Almost every pound of snow on
. mountain side thousand feet high
and quarter of mile long was in
motion for the base. 1t came with a
terrible roar and succession of crash
es as rocks and trees were caught up,
and held my breath for what was to
happen. The house trembled and
rocked, a thousand empty wagons
seemed to rush over the roof, and then
all was midnight darkn ess,. and the
stiffness of the grave settled down up
on me.
The house had been buried under nm
avalanche. It was Gods mercy that
1t had not been swept away and torn
log from log. There was only 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 tn.
room was a bundle of rods about a.
large as my finger and nine feet long
There were six OF them. l seized on,
and thrust it upward from the door
but it did not 60 through the drift.
dashed another to it. and yet the lengtl
was not sufficient flashed on a sec
ond. and now had at least twenty
clear feet Of pole to probe with, and
believed the upper end found daylight
In front of the cabin, and about tw,
hundred feet away, was a great mas
of bare rock forty rods long by fifty
feet high. This would stop the ava
lanche, and it was more than likel,
that solid mass of snow forty rod
long and twenty-four feet deep la,
above me.
What had become of the hermit
There was not one chance in thou
sand that he had escaped. The ava
lanche would block the trail for weeks
and at the very best it would be som
days before any one at our camp woul'
know that | was in the hut. If tn
hermit escaped. he would carry tn
news. If he was buried under tn
snow. I might us well make up m.
mind to remain a prisoner unit
spring. l was in bad box, and TO
the first half hour l quite lost m.
courage. Then, having every reason
TO believe that / must be a prisone
for many long days, began to tax
m inventory of stock. as it were
There wash good bed Of skins an,
AlaaLoAa kuaral smnnkino nfansils ,