The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-22
SEB PA CIT q.
THE TRACK OF AN AVALANCHE.
Countless Tons OF Snow Form the Grave OF
Twenty-fou Human Beings.


Twenty -four Human Beings.
We had gone out from Fort Owen to open
the pass in the Big Hole mountains to en-
able the woodchoppers to get supply OF
fuel for the post. Ithad showed for 7Oho
without a break, and at several points In
the pass there were drifts 20 feet high. There
were 20 of us under command ofa lieutenant,
and about noon we had dug our way half
through the pass. The mountain slopes on
each side were rough and rocky, but the
snow lay so deep that each slope looked as
level as n floor, though the slant was much
sharper than the ordinary house roof. III
was a good thousand feet to the cedars
growing on the ridge, and IL made one dizzy
to look up and realize the distance.
ave are liable TO meet with disaster
here the officer had said as we began work
with our snow shovels in the morning
"There must be no shooting with your re-
yolvers-no horse play-no shouting. III
the snow gets started up there, not man
of us will ever be found belore next June.
The pass ran east and west for distance
of 200 feet ard then made sharp turn 10
the north. AZ the turn we had what might
be called q thru mountain IN front OF u.s.
The slope was as high as the others ttrid
pitched to the west or down the pass. we
thus had three slopes, two pitching across
the pass and the other lengthwise OF IL.
For the first hour every man was nervous
and afraid. Then the feeling began 10
wear Off. and some of the men expressed
their contempt of the peril. At the end OF
two hours the officer had TO repeat his
words of caution. AT about ii o'clock
fall of snow from tie left hand slope re-
vealed the mouth of A. cave about ~ ieet
above our heads. IL was believed by all 10
be the lair OF bear or panther, ana at
noon, when the men sat down IN the pass
to eat their pork aud hard tack, the officer
started TO 60 up and investigate. Without
a word on his part ! followed him. The
fail of snow had left the rocks bare and re-
ycaled three or four small trees, but 1t was
a hard climb to reach the cave. IL wasn't
a cave mt all, but only an indentation in
cliff, with shelf of rock ovcrhanging it.
This overhang extended out for perhaps
four feet.
The men were not all In bunch. but
some of them were even out Of sight around
the bend. After discovering that we had
been duped about the cave we stood look
ing down and across, and were just moving
to get down when one of the men below us
jumped up and shouted:
"a deer! A deerl Hurrah, boys-veni-
son for support
The deer was above us, but we could not
see it on account of the overhang. All the
men had their revolvers, and as they began
to flourish them and prepare TO fire the Off
Ger called out command and warning.
III they heard him, they did not heed him.
He was still speaking when three or four
shots were fired almost simultaneously,
and some one cried out that the deer had
been hit. Ii was the conclusion that start
ed the snow, and it started from the very
top of the slope, where the warm sun had
softened it soonest. ] felt a trembling OF
the mountain and leaped back under the
overhang, and as the lieutenant and stood
side by side the avalanche swept over us.
Daylight was blotted out in an instant, and
tho grinding, roaring and crashing were
something terrific
IL seemed as il the mountain rocked and
pitched like u steamer at sea, and the noise
was louder than any clap OF thunder you
ever heard. 1t couldn't have lasted over 90
seconds, though the time seemed 10 times
as long. Then we looked down, to find the
pass at the soles of our feet. In other
words, it had filed up to a height of 80 feet
with snow, bowlders trees and earth. Two
hundred feet to the west of US was the
lower mouth or opening-beyond that a
plain. The snow had not only fallen from
our slope, but from the one opposite We
were struck dumb for the moment, and as
we stood gazing blankly the snow starred
on the third slope. Away up near the crest
ball started rolling, and 10 seconds later
the snow on a space 800 feet long was NOV
ing Instead OF piling up in the raviDe it
struck and forced the snow down there TO
the west and followed after.
1t was q great river OF snow sweeping
past US. Logs, trees and powders which
weighed tens OF tons were borne along like
straws, and 80 swiftly that the eye caught
no second glance All at once there was a
check, and right before MS "A soldier was
shot TO the surface. IL was Corporal Herts,
who was probably farther up the pass than
any other man. He popped out OF the snow
head first and at full length. aud for perhaps
five seconds was within 10 feet OF us and
looking squarely into our faces. he was
bnreheaded, his overcoat gone and his face
bleeding. lie knew what had happened
and no doubt realized his peril, but AS he
stood there. saved for the instant. up went
his band in salute 20 the lieutenant As
his arm dropped he disappeared from
sight. II was discipline in the face Of death
an instance that will never have itscoun-
terpart.
Out of that narrow. rocky pass poured
the tide with fury which scrnped IL as
bare as floor and tore great rocks from its
sides. At the west mouth the snow filed
ravine 80 feet deep and then poured ont on
the plain for quarter of mile. IL was no
use to look for the bodies Five hundred
men could not have moved that mass ia
fortnirht Tss..ts.four msn. were buried