The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-05-03
THE RUSH OF AN AVA, -
Perils OF Travel In the Snow ~
British CoIn, -"Vhtail

AN AvALANcI
british Columbia.
Imagine if you can the vo.
est bit OF nature you have eva, y roy
take newspaper, crumpIe !, 'eeq
ball, and placing it on tab,a !" ny
all it's raised parts to be peaks pup
hollows ravines: picture 49, aaa
edges as ridges more Or less nv; g
the hollows bare, smooth. q. ..,oe
the roof of the steepest bo, s'eel
know of, and you have an ido u''
mountains and gorges of the Slosa
Let us suppose we are standin 'a'
the summit of one of these ridns
bright sunny day in January
been showing continually for d.,
the beautiful" lies in plenteon.
fusion everywhere, six to eiyh,
deep in the timbered ridges, sns
depth you like in the ravines. ~
gets warmer; up above you. na su'
crest of the mountain, litt,e Il.
crystals detach themselves ons
rolling down the slope; tinv
forms at your feet and widens
the gulch; in an instant tbe ~
snowy mass is in motion. and wi,}
kissing, rustling sound and an
heaval along its edges, goes bn,,
down the gorge. Faster and g.
it glides; the air is filled with sndI
spume; where you stood it was a \
let; thousand feet below il iso
torrent; the noise increases as Il u
momentum.
Rocks are torn loose, broken to at
or ground to powder, trees uprooI
and broken to pieces, logs smashed
splinters. At half mile on its nat
presents a crest of twenty to NM
feet in height and moves faster \
an express train; woe betide anv M
thing in its way now. NOTHING NJ
by man can stand before it, the N
of its creation is hurricane, a 81,
of dust and snow follows in its ",
in a seething torrent it pours overr
and precipice, and moving resistle,
on leaves in it's track broken
crushed fragments of rock and /,
and the smooth and polished erase
the gorge. The thunder dies; is Cd
and the avalanche is passed. Dow1
the foot OF the slope, a mile aw
mountains Of snow tossed up in Id
less cnaos, wild tangle of 70,
earth, trees and logs remain to mi
the slide, and often, alas too off
the bodies of brave men caught in
rush, lie buried in its icy embrace
All around you can hear, day
night, the distant, muffled roar
passing avalanches. They come
go at all times and at all hours; d
year new one is created, for the
err ones are we'll known. They n
claimed their blood tribute each
it's record of brave men done to dsa
These avalanches are everywhl
there is not a wagon II
or mountain trail that
not, cross the path of several
the Kaslo-Slocan road to New DEM
there are five or six; on the win
road to Sandon and Cody creek, q
all trails to the mines cross and reed
these moving destroyers; yet all
season of greatest danger there ism
traffic on these roads and trails
on many highways in civilintl
Marvellous escapes are an everyl
matter. No one hesitates or delay
account of the peril to be incur
Often, very often, the snowslide pa1
a few feet from the ore-laden
team, but not always with warni
In an instant men and animals
overwhelmed and tossed like straws
the boil of seething snow; 1t is mel
full that death is instantaneous
The force of the wind created BY
of these larger slides is well nigh
credible; in the valley OF the lllecl
waet, ON the line of the Canadian
cific, tree tops are cut off by the
of the wind on the opposite side Of
ravine through which the avasl
descenda The snow is pressed
the hardness of ice and literally
or grinds to powder everything
path. The many deplorable fanu'
that have lately occurred in the 10
are partly due to the destructionO
timber on the wooded slopes g
fearful fires of last summer; the
holding up the snow and pre'en
sliding. We read of many brave
heroic acts; but surely the p
courage that daily takes even Gnu
with death on the slopes ana u
mountains of the SLOGAN deserves
than a passing tribute
Nn1npiaf