The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-02
THE CUSTER SLIDE.
Death in the Bleak Hills Of
CGur d'Alene.
RUSH OF THE SOFT SNOW.


Spokane Falls Review.
While ct Wallace learned some graphic
particulars OF the disastrous snowslide at
the Custer mine, in which six miners lost
sheir lives. Snow lay in deep drifts upon
the steep mountain sides. Then came .
beating rain, and with il . mighty gale
that rocked the tall trees and ioosened the
earth and snow.
The miners were not unmindful Of their
peril So impressed were some of them
with the terror of the storm and the dam
gers which hung above their heads, that
they refused to pass the night in the board
inghouse. preferring to sleep in the mouth
OF the tunnel. Thither they bad carried
their bedding for two nights, bur death had
marked them for its own, and they we're
not TO escape.
The darkness Of . winter night had
fallen upon the lonely mountain. The 6ay
shift had come out of the mine and were at
supper in the clearinghouse. Without, the
gale howled over the bleak landscape, the
scattered trees were weaving away in the
blackness. and the rain came pelsing down
IN torrents. The gloom of their ENVIRON
ment Was reflected in the faces of the
miners.
II was so impressed with our danger"
said one of the survivors. that | could
hardly swallow my supper. The men were
quiet and distracted. All at once We felt
little jar. 1t was the first touch of the
avalanche. Then all was wreck and ruin,
and we were buried in = great mass OF bro
ken timbers. trees, earth. rock and snow"
The clearinghouse sat upon q little
bench cut in the mountain side. and when
the avalanche rushed down the mountain 1t
shot over the building, but crushed it like
you would crush an eggshell in your hand.
Three Of the buried miners dug their way
out Of the debris and summoned help.
News of the disaster was sent to Wallace,
and fifty men responded IS promptly as
possible. The work of excavation went
forward with unfiagging energy. Now a
dead body would be reached. crushed by
the forces of nature or smothered by the
snow. Some of the men were taken out
alive, only to die within q few minutes;
Others we're slightly injured, and some
were unhurt.
Jack Galbraith. the foreman of the mine.
was married man, his family living on
farm in the Wood river country. He had
planned to abandon the perilous life of q
miner the present year. and was going to
settle down upon his farm. He lived for
two hours after the avalanche. and one of
the survivors talked with him. They dis
cussed their chances of life while lying be-
meath the debris. The air kept growing
fouler. and Galbraith informed his COM
panion in peril that he could not survive
much longer. Soon after that tho rescuers
reached them, but it was too late for poor
Jack!
Wallace was eight miles distant, down
Nine-Mile creek. The trail Is steep, and
the snow lay deep in the lonely gulches
BY this time hundred men were on the
ground. The scene was one never to be
forgotten by those who viewed it The
dreary landscape, the awe-struck specta-
tors, the avalanche's path Of destruction,
and the dead and injured men lying about
upon the snow, combined to form q picture
that was awful in its intensity.
The victims were tightly swathed IN
blankets. and ropes were bound around
them. The ends OF long rope were then
tied to their feet, ana five or six men
grasped the rope and dragged each body
down the mountain.
1t was . melancholy procession that
wended its way toward the town. For q
was followed. The bodies were dragged in
single file, and following them came the
wounded, some of whom had to be borne
on stretchers. II was five miles down the
mountain to the nearest point reached by
sleighs. The task of dragging the bodies
was laborious and slow. but at last it was
ended. and the dead miners were placed in
sleighs and thus carried into Wallace.
Wallace presented . scene OF woe the fol-
lowing day. Hither two victims OF the
Canyon creek disaster had been borne.
That made eight dead bodies in the town.
The funeral vas most impressive. Three
Of the victims were members OF the Roman
Catholic church, and their bodies were
taken for burial TO the old Mission down
the river. and laid to rest in the midst Of
the beautiful and peaceful surroundings
selected many years ago by the daring mis-
sionaries of the church Is site for the edu-
cation OF the Indians.
A brass band headed the funeral cortege
and go men were in line. With tho ex-
ception of Galbraith, the other victims were
buried upon the mountain-side near Wal
lace.