The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-08
The Fierce Rush of the Avalanche.

Imagine, III you can the very TOUGHEST
bit OF nature ever seen. or take newspa-
Ter, crumplc II into a ball. and placing
II on table suppose all its raised parts
TO be peaks and the hollows ravines; pct
ure the sharp edges as ridges more or
less .imbercd, the hollows bare, smooth
or steep as the roof OF the steepest house
you know OF. and you have an idea OF
the mountains and gOrges OF the SLOGAN.
Let us suppose we are standing near
the summit of one OF these ridges on n
bright, sunny day in January. 1t has
been showing continuously for days, and
the beautiful lies in plentooUs prcfusion
everywhere. six TO eight feet deep in the
timbered ridges and any depth you like
In the ravines; the sun gets warmer; up
above you, near the crest of the noun
tain. little bits of crystals detach them
selves and go rolling down the slope;
n tiny crack forms at your feet ana
widens across the gulch; in an instant
the whole snowy mass is in motion, and
with Kissing rustlng sound and an up
heaval along the edges goes hurting down
the gorge. Faster and faster 1t glides'
the air is filed with snowy spume; where
you stood Il was a rivulet 1000 feet be-
low it is n mad torrent the noise in
creases as IL gains momentum.
Rocks are torn loose. broken TO atoms
broken to pieces, logs smashed to splin-
ters. At half a mile on its path II pre-
sents n crest of twenty TO thirty feet in
height and moves faster than an express
train; woe betide any living thing In its
way now. Nothing made by man can
stand before it. the wind of its creation
Is hurricane n cloud of snow and dust
follows in It's wake; in a seething torrent
it pours over rocks and precipices, and
moving resistlessly on leaves IN its track
broken and crushed fragments OF rocks
and trees. The thunder dies, is gone;
and the avalanche passed. Down at the
foot of the slope. a mile away. mountains
of snow tossed up in hopeless chaos.
wild tangle of rocks earth. trees. and
logs remain to mark the slide. and often
alas too often, the bodies Of brave men
caught in it's rush lie buried I'm its icy
embrace.
All around you can hear, day and night,
the distant. mufiied roar OF passing ava
lanches They come and 20 at all times
and at all hours; each year a new one is
created. They have claimed their blood
tribute; each has it's record Of brave men
done to death. These avalanches are
everywhere; there is not a wagon road
or a mountain trail that does not cross
the path of several On the Kaslo-SlOcan
road to New-Denver there are five or six;
on the Winter road 10 Sandon and Cody
Creek four: all trails TO the mines cross
and recross these moving destroyers; yet
in all the season OF greatest danger
there Is more traffic on these roads and
trails than on many highways in ciyili-
cation. Marvellous escaYes are an ev-
ery-day matter No one hesitates or
delays on account OF the peril TO be in
CURED. Often, very often the snow
slide passes a few feet from the ore
laden pack team. but not always with a
warning. In an instant men and animals
are overwhelmed. and tossed like straws
in the boil of seething snow. 1t is merci-
full that death is instantaneous then.
The force of the wind created by one
Of these large slides IS well-nigh incredi-
Bile. In the Valley Of the lllecillewaet. on
the line of the Canadian Pacific. tree tops
are cut off by the force of the wind on
the opposite side of the Tavine through
which the avalanche descends The
snow is pressed into the hardness OF
ice. and literally tears or grinds't TO powder
everything in its path. The many de-
plorable fatalities that have lately oc-
Cured in the SLOGAN are partly due TO
the destruction of the timber on the
wooded slopes by the fearful fires Of last
summer, trees holding up the snow.
and preventing sliding We read Of many |
brave and heroic acts, but surely the pa
tient courage that daily takes even |
chances with death on the slopes and in |
the mountains Of the SLOGAN deserves |
more than a passing tribute.-Nictoria |
Colon!st