Morning journal and courier., 1890-11-20
COMMUNICATIONS.
After the Storm.

To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
Obi the white, white moonlight of a
winter night in tho Rockies. 1t is 30
grand, SO glorious, 30 desolate and 80
strangely still; the solemn, mysterious,
impalpable silence; broken by the occa-
sional booming of snow-slide in neigh
boring canyon.
There had been storm for many days;
for many days the storm king had waved
his banners from the topmost peaks; and
for many days the air had been filed with
the falling snow; coming down swiftly,
yet silently, piling up great walls of white
and isolating us completely from the out
side world. Old Boreas, too, with his le-
gions, had held high revel through the
mountains and in the deep canyons, and
our frail dwelling had been shaken by his
breath.
A little after noon on the ninth day the
clouds suddenly dispersed, and the sun
shone out resplendent from soft sum-
merry sky. What beautiful world, !
thought, as stood at my window, which
commanded fine view of the grand win
try landscape, and watched the sun as it
sank In sea of gold behind the western
mountains. The heavy, mow-crowned
the soft roseate colors.
Now for breath of the pure, invigora-
ting air, after our weary days Of imprison-
ment and gloom, and we go out into the
beautiful still night. Paths have been
made for our accommodation; paths
straight and wide, walled high on either
side by the glittering, glistening snow
and six snow stairs have been cut into @
solid drift, up which we mount to reach
our trail. It is as light as day, and look
ing at my watch I can easily ascertain the
time; it is eight o'clock. The moon, with
its broad, good-natured face, looks smil-
ingly down from her diamond-studded
throne, and the stars are bright and twin
king in the vast, deep canopy above us.
The shadows of the mountains lie heavy
and dark, while the fieecy cloud shadows
fit hither and thither over the snowy
landscape as if in wanton play. Lights
are shining from uncurtained windows in
the quaint little village at our feet, and
! they look cheerful and companionable, al
| though far awcy. Many of the spruce
| trees are buried out of sight beneath the
deep snow, while others-taller ones-are
adorned with great white feathery snow
blossoms, delicate, grotesque and perisha-
| BILE.
We climb the narrow winding trail up
| the steep mountain side until we reach the
mine, pausing often to recover our breath
and admire the wondrous beauty of the
night. As we open the door of the shaft
| house Q strange picture meets our eyes; all
| in chiaro-o o-obscuro-a splendid study for an
artist to reproduce. The broad reflector
of the big lamp brings into prominence
the shining steel of the highly polished
engine, and the light falls upon the faces
of group of miners who are talking
earnestly. In the dim background the
heavy iron bucket hangs suspended ovel
the mouth of the cavernous shaft, while
the glowing furnace fire gives warmth and
cheer and color to the scene.
The sound Of voices is pleasant to MS af
ter SO many days of enforced solitude, ant
I listen idly. Presently my attention i
arrested and am listening eagerly. On
of the men is telling of his narrow es
capes from the deadly snow-shdes
ssWhy," said he, 'I have been caught il
three Of 'em, and I don't dare risk anoth
err" and he lowered his husky voice i'm
pressively as he said, sI shall never iv
through another slide; when the next on
comes shall have to go too" The las
time was caught was only about as fa
as across this room from the shaft house
heard it coming and just had time t
, cling to tree near which stood. 1t wa
all over in q minute, and when came
myself and looked around was alone an
fastened firmly in the ice as far as m
, waist, so that I could not move; the tW
poor fellows who were with me were gone
one was the cook, the other the engineer
They dug me out as soon as possible an
search was commenced for the boys. On
, was dead; quite black in the face, and th
. other was so badly hurt he died the ne,
day. I tell You, boys, don't sleep quit
: 80 well nights after such storm as thi
: thinking Of yonder peak above u.s." Al
other man is speaking. He has larg
, light blue, prominent eyes, which seem
grow more protuberant as he proceed
{ He says, "You all remember that terrib
: winter six years ago, when a slide can
, down the mountain and carried away d,
men that were asleep ct the Duttol
Twas the same night poor Goldsmith wei
at the Genesee; fourteen were killed /
!. the snow that winter, and helped to bu,
= them all. We had to draw them twel,
q miles down the mountain on hand-sled
I tell you it made mans hair star
: straight on his head when we had to GRO
:. the track of slide. We were tired ar
/ hungry, Dut We oo NOT QaL6 stop ioi
a enough to eat. This might be our Ia
!. journey we thought, and perhaps y
y would be the next ones to 60 over Il
y range" Another Of the group has COZ
= menced to tell his experience; he was
the virginius, and the only man that {
capped to carry the news and get succor +
y his fellow workman; but had hea
II enough, and we turned to go out into Z
n beautiful night again; beautiful still, b
: with the beauty and desolateness of deaf
y The whole aspect of nature was chang
Q, for me. The moon looked coldly crs
II now; under this vast expanse of snow v
e. q great charnel-house, which nature b
mercifully covered with her pale windi
u sheet; and as carefully trod the slpps
al trail / was apprehensively listening for
Of dull roar of coming snow-slide, and n
vously looking back at the grand old ps
that lowered above us.
* Dpwn The snow stairs aGain 10 cur "