Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-11-20
CAUGHT In AN AVALANCHE
1t Sweeps Warren Burgess and Wife
Into Lake WhatcOm
THEIR MIRACULOUS ESCAPE
From O'Clock in the Morning Till o
on the Cold Sand in Their
Night Clothes

A terrific avalanche, loosened by the |
heavy rains of the past few days, swept |
down the steep mountain gorge that
rises from the eastern shore Of Lake |
Whatcom, opposite Reveille island,
about 2 o'clock yesterday morning,
carrying with il far into the lake the
cabin occupied by Warren Burgess and
his wife. They were awake in their
bed when they heard rushing, grind
ing noise and then felt terrible shock,
When they became conscious, instead
Of being in their warm bed they were
in the cold waters Of Lake Whatcom
one hundred and fifty yards from the
shore, bruised and jammed in mass
of drifting debris. Mr.. Burgess was
under a log in the water with his left
ankle crushed. He managed to extri-
cate himself and get to his wife who
was in the water about twenty feet
away. He found quilt i'm the debris
and with this he was enabled to swim
ashore with his wife. No pen can
describe their sufTerings through the
long hours of the night after reaching
the beach. Without shelter or clothing
in the tnrrific wind and rain storm that
was then raging, their bodies torn,
bruised and lacerated, and with no
means of reaching or calling assistance
from the distant neighbors, they re-
manned on the cold, wet sand Of the
beach, wrapped in the wet quilt, from
2 o'clock until 9 O'Clock yesterday
morning. Mr.. Burgess, notwitlstand-
ing his Injuries and exposure, retained
consciousness and strength to call for
help. About o'clock Harry and
Banning Austin, living on the opposite
side of the lake "A mile and half
distant, heard the cries for help and
Immediately set out for the relief Of the
unfortunate sufferers In II row boat.
They were almost dead with suffering
and exposure when the rescuing party
b found them on the beach. The hus-
band and wife were placed in the boat
and taken across the lake to the Austin
Brothers' cabin, where every thing pos
sible was done to alleviate their suffer
ings. Mr.. Burgess came near dying in
congestive chill after he was taken to
! the cabin. The steamer Thistle, which
soon after arrived on her way up the
lake to Blue Canyon, was hailed and
Captain jenkins Immediately put back
{ to Silver Beach after medical assist
| ance. DR.. Van Iandt was called and
| the Thistle returned with him to
: Austin Brothers ranch. Mrs Burgess,
. although badly scratched and bruised,
sustained no serious injuries, and was
I allowed to remain there. After having
! his broken limb set, Mr.. Burgess was
: taken to st. Luke's hospital, arriving
g there at g o'clock last evening. DR..
: Van Zandt says that Mr.. Burgess in
5 iured limb will undoubtedly have to be
I amputated. He received the worst
{ kind Of comminuted fracture Of the
left limb. IL il also thought that one
of his ribs is fractured.
r The Burgess cabin stood about one
e hundred feet from the lake on "A level
tract at the mouth Of a V shaped can
Won. The sides OF the canyon were
almost perpendicular, and the canyon
;. itself was a groove in the nearly per
l. pendicular side of high mountain
) About one hundred yards back Of the
"a house was a waterfall, made by the
small mountain stream that tumbled
a down the canyon. Mr.. Burgess says
!. that he noticed that he could not heal
!, the waterfall about an hour before the
n avalanche came. IL il probable that o
slide had fallen into the canyon, dam
ing the creek some distance above
n This then gave way under the pressure
! of the accumulating water and rushed
!. down the canyon, carrying with i
! trees, rocks and everything. Not 9
vestige of any improvement on Mr.
Burgess ranch can be seen. The lak'
!. Is covered for a distance Of "A mile will
a mass Of trees and debris. Large trees
six and eight feet in diameter wert
# found, ground and twisted to splinters
= The avalanche was about one hundred
% and fifty yards in breadth. The tree
on each side Of its path are ground anC
peeled to a height OF twenty feet abov'
the ground.
Mr. Burgess was formerly leader o
y the Burgess band and Is well-knowr
a In New Whatcom. He had been re
siding on his ranch since the first o
y MAY. He was also engaged in devel
m oping mine. The steamer Thistle de
voted the entire day to serving the un
DR. fortunate husband and wife.