The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1891-09-05
UNDER THE SNOW.

was coming out of tIe mountains to
the north of Virginia City with a lot of
miners mail strapped on my back There
was no regular mail route there then, but
about once month some one took the
letters down and returned with any mail
found at the pOstotfice. | was on snow
shoes. The winter had been severe, and
the snow was five or six feet deep on the
level. The 9th of January had been a
very balmy day, with warm sun and
win l. and on the morning of the 2Sth l
started.
had to make my way along the base
of a range known to us then as Bills
Thumb, and for this twelve miles there
was only one settler. He was an old
bachelor, who had built himself a snug
std#t cabin under the caves of the Thumb
He was hunter, miner, prOspectOr, tax
idermist, 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 had come out there to
live a hermit life, but he was chap who
kept to himself and would not allow any
one to question him. | got along very
well for the first five miles, but then re-
allied 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. One
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
shot Of the hermit's cabin ] saw the man
himself about mile down the valley
He was coming toward the house, but had
burden on his shoulder and was moving
slowly Therefore, ms reached the cabin
/ stood at the door to wait for him, think
ing he might wish me to take letter or
do some errand. He was still half a mile
away when | heard dull, heavy fall
awAy up the mountain above my head, |
knew it was a mass of snow tumbling off
the rocks, and that it was the seed of an
avalanche. The sound had scarcely
reached my ears when / wheeled to the
door, lifted the latch, and the next in
slant was inside / was none too soon.
Almost every pound of snow on noun
tain side, 900 feet high and a quarter of
q mile long, was in motion for the base.
1t came with a terrible roar and a success
sion of crashes 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 darkness and the stiffness OF
the grave settled down upon me.
The house had been buried under an
avalanche 1t was Gods mercy that it
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
I nd /
to investigate the situation. On opening
the door l found the snow packed solidly
in 'front.' Going to the single window
found every ray of light shut out In the
room was a bundle of rods about as large
as my finger and nine feet long. There
were six of them. / seized one and thrust
il upward from the door, but it did not &C
through the drift. | dashed another TO it,
and vet the length was not sufficient.
dashed on Il second, and now had at least
twenty-five clear feet of pole to probe
viii and ] believed the upper end found
daylight. in front of the cabin, and about
200 feet away, was a great mass of bare
rock forty rods long by fifty feet high
This would stop the avalanche, and it was
more than likely that a solid mass of snow
forty rods long and twenty four feet deer
lay above me.
was not one chance in ] 900 that he haC
escaped. The avalanche would block the
trail for weeks, and at the very best j
would be some days before any one at oul
camp would know that | was in the hut
If the hermit escaped he would carry thu
news. IL he was buried under the snow
might as well make up my mind to re
main prisoner until spring. | was in
bad box, and for the first half hour
quite lost my courage. Then, having
every reason to believe that ] must be
prisoner for many long days, l began t.
take an inventory of stock, as it were
There was good bed of skins and blan
kets. several cooking utensils, table anc
several rough stools, clock, dozen o
more books, about thirty candles, witt
tea, coffee, sugar, pork and flour in quan
titles to last me several weeks. l coul'
not have been better provided for had
planned for the avalanche to come. Their
was a leauto at the back end of tn
Int and / looked into this to find it full
of fuel. / felt much more hopeful afte
had taken the inventory, for | could no
he 3aabut feel that it would be long befor
saw daylight again
For several hours after the accident tn
cabin sent forth suspicious sounds. tn
snow was settling and packing above il