The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-02-01
Fatal snow Slides.

Last Saturday morning a snow
slide on the western slope of Look
out mountain, near Bellevue, car
ried away the whim-house and
cabin belonging to the Pacific Tun-
mel. John L. Walker and J. F.
Wilson were in the cabin at the
time, and were swept along with
the debris of the building and COW
cred by six feet of heavy damp
snow. When they were dug out by
two men who fastened to their res
cue as soon as possible, Walker
was found to be dead. Wilson was
unconscious and would soon have
died. After reching Bellevue, he
gave the following account OF his
frightful experience:
It was half-past 10 o'clock, should
Judge, when John and heard the slide
coming. We made rush for the door,
but before reaching it the cabin was
knocked in. John was thrown against
timber, which probably gave him the
ugly cash on the temple. l was thrown
across him, and then all was dark, Mel
Their one of US was senseless. John asked
me if I was hurt. l told him no. we
were beth hard pressed for breath and
could not talk much. The last that l re-
member was that John was praying.
must have been unconscious all the
time, with probably the exception OF ths
last half hour.
John L. Walker was a native o.
West Virginia but had spent the
most of his life in California. He
was one of the pioneers Of Wooc
River, having started one Of the frs
stores in Bellevue. Of late years
he had been engaged in mining ane
had been at work upon the tunnel
where he met his death, for tiv'
years. He struck the ore body he
had been running for, last summer
and seemed to be now upon tn
eve of receiving the reward OF hi
long patience and perseverance.
The Boise Statesman received 1
letter from Rocky Bar dated Jan
19, stating that on Friday, the It'll
inst, about 5 p NJ, Mr.. E. F. Gaet;
was covered and lost in a snoy
slide. He and others were engaged
in running a tunnel at Yuba City
some three miles from Atlanta. Mr.
Gaetz had been to Atlanta on bust
ness, travelling on snow shoes. IL
transacted his business and left AT
Ianta for Yuba about 4 o'clock. No
returning to Yuba, parties at tina
place, on Saturday, concluded tina
something had happened and start
ed for Atlanta. About three-fourth
of a mile from Yuba, they cam
across a snow slide and foun'
snow-shoe tracks coming from Al
lanta to the slide, but none beyon
it going to Yuba. This with tn
fact of his disappearance was cor
elusive. AS soon as it was known
everybody turned out to search 70
the body. and parties from Rock
, Bar had gone over to help. Nj
Gaetz was from Buffalo, n. Y, an
had been for many years resider
of Atlanta, where he had been ell
2 gagged in mining. He was ver
enterprising man, about 45 yea1
: old. He leaves wife and sewers
/ children; one grown son, Eddi
l carried the mail between Atlan'
: and Rocky Bar.
The Statesman also states tn;
, ON last Saturday Mr.. Lorenzo lr
, ton, of Squaw creek was killed b
. a snow slide near the mouth OF II
q tunnel into the mine owned by hir
! and instantly killed. The men
the tunnel hearing the noise rs
out and found the hat of the d
:, ceased. They instantly divine
= what had happened and commence
: digging for the body, which wi
found some distance down tt
mountain. Life was extinct whe
y he was taken out.