The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-02-06
A~VALANCHES AND FLOODS
A Ceur DAlene Mining Town Almost
Destroyed by a Great Slide of Snow.
Six Men Killed and Many Houses Wrecked
Residents Flee to Other Places-Floods in
Oregon-Portland Partly Submerged.

town of Burke, l. T., in the C9ur DAlene
mining district, has been nearly destroyed
by disastrous avalanches. Half of the
business houses are in ruins. Three men
were killed. and the terror-stricken inhab-
itants have fed to the towns of Gem and
Wallace. fearing a repetition of the disas-
ter. Particulars are meager, as the wires
to all the points in the mines ave gone
down, leaving no means of communication.
The first disaster occurred yesterday after
noon, and, this morning. with scarcely a
moments warning, o tremendous mass of
snow swept down upon the town from the
west side of the narrow gulch in which it
is situated Five men were buried beneath
the snow. Two were rescued. but the others
are dead. and their bodies nave not been
recovered.
The Inflated town liesin a narrow gulch,
through which Cayon creek pours its
waters into the south fork of the C9ur
D'Alene. 1t had about two hundred inhabi-
tants, who ave deserted their wrecked or
menaced homes and places of business. The
nearest town is Gem, also upon Cayon
creek. and three miles down the stream.
Yesterday another disastrous avalanche
went down upon a clearinghouse con-
nected with the Custer mine, which is stu
ated upon Nile-mile creek, about five miles
from Burke. the boarding house was full
of miners. Some were killed, others had
narrow escapes and a number were more or
less injured.
Later reports from Burke indicate that
no lives have been lost there. Mr.. and Mrs.
Wise. and John Wait and wife were buried
in the GnOw-Sliha Int Ill Uara rQs0uod with
slight injury.
At Custer mine. however, the disaster
was worse than at first reported. Six men
were killed outright. Among these were
Flynn, cook, and Tom Mahoney, q Young
miner. Forty men are employed at the
mine in two shifts. One shift was below and
the other was eating dinner at the time the
avalanche rushed upon the clearinghouse.
Many other avalanches have occurred in
the Occur d'Alene district. The canyons
are full OF snow, rocks and great trees. The
people of that whole section are terror
STRICKEN. and are not asleep tonight.
The disasters are not q surprise to those
familiar with the topography of that Sec
ton. The towns are situated in very mar
row gulches, on either side of which abrupt
mountains arise. The snowfall this win
ter has been unprecedented in this country.
hard, which had the effect of l%oosening the
snow-banks. and precipitating them upon
the town and the houses below.
The C9ur D'Alene mining district is one
of the richest in the world. both for gold
and silver. 1t includes the famous Bunker
Hill and Sullivan mines. perhaps the great
est assure vein in America. The principal
town is Wallace. The other towns are
Wardner, Osborne, Burke and Gem.
Destructive Floods In Oregon.
JACKSONVILLE. Ore, Feb. 5.-A phenom-
opol min -c<orvo hoe vra-o;1aI - o-cxLo--
Oregon since last Friday. which, in connec-
ton with the melting SHOWS in the mount,
aims, has caused the greatest flood known
since that country was settled. The dam
age to southern Oregon cannot be estimated
as yet. for postal communication is so un-
certain and limited that only surlnises can
be made of the ravages of the water. On
the line of the numerous tributaries of the
Rogue river many small ranches have been
badly damaged. if not ruined, aud miles of
fencing ave been swept away. Much of
the finest soil in the lower valley has been
washed down to gravel and bedrock, and
the spectacle of fields flooded, roads washed
ont and bridges and culverts demolished is
common.
The fertile Bear creek region has not
escaped the visitation. The heart of tho
III Ah0 tHC III " u
turbid sea for days and communication be-
tween its many towns has been almost sus-
pended by the swOolen foothills streams.
Bear creek itself has borne along a great
deal of w~reckage, besides fences, out
buildings and even barns and houses, and
has wrought much destruction in under
mining and sluicing off the deep alluyium
that cOmpOses it's banks. In the APPLICABLE
region there are few bridges left. Many
people were obliged to leave their homes
for safety. Great damage has been done to
mining interests of the section by the
bursting of dams and reservoirs, the
breaking and filling of bitches and
the loss of flume boxes and machinery.
The Oregon ~ California railroad track in
southern Oregon has been washed away for
miles, and the road-bed is seriously dam
aged along the whole line. There has not
been a mail from either north or south for
several weeks. No estimate can be made
of the loss to the county In bridges and
private property. Hundreds of thousands
of dollars will not cover it.
A telegram received this afternoon from
Portland says: The water is now flooding
First street and is knee deep. All traffic
in the streets is suspended. as the only
means of communication is by small boats.
The Pacific postal-telegraph Office floor is
covered with water. and the river is still
rising. There is 10 news from the south.
Flood In the ST. Lawrence.
MONTREAL, Feb. 6.-lt was reported hero
this evening that the water in the st.