St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-13
Forty Indians and a White
Woman Crushed to Death
by a Landslide.
The Catastrophe Occurs at
North Pacific Cannery on
the Skeena River.
Nine Houses Swept Away
Thirteen Bodies Have
Been Recovered.
Washouts in North Dakota
Cause Considerable Delay
to Trains.
Enecial to The Globe.

Epecial to the Globe,
NANAIMo, B. c., July 12. = The
steamer Princess Louise arrived this
morning from Skeena and brings news
of a terrible landslide on the banks OF
the Skeena river at the North Pacific
cannery, resulting in the death OF
one woman and about forty Indians.
From Charles Hoverg, a passengre
on the steamer and a witness
of the disaster, l learn the
following details: At a quarter OF 3
O'Clock on the morning of the 9TH inst.
those working at and residing near the
North Pacific cannery, at Skeena river,
heard a great rushing noise in the dl-
rection of the high, steep mountain at
the back of the cannery. In moment
an avalanche of rocks and earth and
trees was upon the doomed settlement,
carrying everything before 1t into
slough close to the cannery. The Occu-
pants of the houses had timetO get out
side of the building. but before they
could escape from the advancing
Torrent of Debris
were caught and carried along at fear
ful velocity. In all, nine houses, with
their occupants, we're destroyed, III
cluding the mess house and residence
of the foreman of the cannery. In
the mess room at the time of
the catastrophe was the young Swedish
wife OF the foreman. She was carried
along in the mad and deathly current
NV informant is not certain of the name
of the foreman, but believes 1t to be
either Nelson or Johnson. He was
formerly in charge of the British COlum-
ba cannery, but since the SYN
dicate bought out these cannerles
he has been in charge OF the
North Pacific. Indians claim that
among those destroyed we're about forty
Indians of the Port Simpson, Sitka,
Metlakatlah and Kilimat tribes, all Of
whom are surely killed. Up to the time
your informant left, tive days after the
slide. thirteen bodies Of the Indians had
been recovered and taken to Port
EssngtOn for burial. The body OF
the foreman's wife had not been recOv-
cred, but there was not the slightest
hope for any living thing within the
range Of
The Terrible Slide
of bOulders. rocks. trees and earth. The
slide Just missed the canneTy buildings
Nv dDOuA lWO lctls DOlllC VI luC lOOoV
earth actually scraped the corner of the
building. In the eannery building we're
the foreman and about sixty Indians
getting ready to receive the boats,
which were expected, as it was slack at
the time. Had the slide struck the can
nerv or occurred half an hour before,
when all the people would have been in
the houses. the death roll would have
reached 100 persons. 1t had been rain
ing in torrents for the previous four
DAYS, and 1t is thought that the accu
mutation of water in the raYines
on the mountain sides broke away, car
ryinG death and destruction in its way.
The buildings destroyed consisted of
log and frame houses, the mess room
being large building. The North Pa
eific creamery is owned by an English
syndicate The Indians are greatly ex-
cited over the disaster and are mourn
ing bitterly for their dead. The boats
and crews were fortunately out Of
reach Of the slide.