The Dickinson press., 1896-08-15
Doun the Flume.

Doun the Flume.
The snow lay deep In the Coeur
d'Alenes-yes, more than that, the min
ing camps were "snowed In" had
not been long in the camp, and it was
all new to me, so naturally tied to
Gov. Bill, foreman Of the Last Chance,
during the exciting days of the great
snowstorm. The miners gave him that
name because he had gone to college
with governor of one ofour Eastern
states. He was educated for the bar,
but drink made him miner, and now
that he was reformed the company
made him a foreman. When the stoln,
commenced the mills were all shut
down and the water which furnished
the power was turned from the various
fumes.
The day following the one of the
heaviest snowfall it was reported at
the lower end of the gulch that an i'm
mcnsc snow slide had occurred during
the night at the upper end. procured
n pair of snowshoes and hurried to the
scene. The manager and Bill were su-
perintending the working of scores of
miners-in fact, all the available men.
whats the matter, Bill?" l in
quired.
''Thc mon ut the upper mill are
buried in this mountain of snow," he
answered.
what! How many:"
"Fcur. You see the miners Mt the
(! boarding house there escaped, but
those who slept in the loft of the mill
| at the head of the gulch had no chance
to leave"
Those who have visited the Occur
d'Alenes will recall how steep the
buttes rise from the narrow gulches.
At places you can scarcely scale them,
and even the hardy pines can barely
gain footing.
The wind was now blowing in gusts,
carrying clouds of snow from the
buttcs above, swirling down the slopes,
eddying through the gulches and bank
ing tho white powder at the very feet
of the miners. Shovels were power
less, hut the men worked on in the firm
belief that they would reach their CON-
rades. But no one knew whether the
old building had stood the strain, and
that the poor fellows were alive.
"lt's no go. Mr.. Bardon," Bill de-
spondently said. 'There Is no telling
how long the storm will keep UP, and
even if it soon subsidies, it will be days
before We can reach them. Moreover,
they cannot live long in that small
building without air.
II fear you are right, Bill. But 1t is
all we can do," slowly replied the
manager.
There was momentary lull In the
storm, when the governor remarked
with an anxious face: "Look ut the
streak down the butte. That must
have have been the path Of the slide
Eyes, it originated on the smooth
flume." A binding rush of snow from
over the mountain shut out the view
''The wind keeps the flume bare neal
the top of the SLOPE" added the man
ager, after we had shifted our posi-
tions, for the snow was drifting about
| us.
| All day long the men toiled, and oil
!hat night reliefs were working, but
progress in the shaft was slow, as the
snow continually caved in or was car
ried in by the wind. During the fol
lowing .day and night there was no LEI
up in the work. 10 me affairs looked
more hopeful, for the storm had spen
Its fury and was now subsiding. Tha
night asked Bill how deep he though
the snow was where the men wert
working.
"It's q hundred feet If an inch," b,
replied, "and we have not made NOR,
than forty. Thirty more feet shoult
, bring us to the roof, but, you see, i
becomes harder the deeper we get"
Evidently Bill did not take as hope
full q view of affairs. had moved m.
bunk to the Office building, and earl!
the following morning was aroused
by loud knocking at the door. 1t wa
the governor. He looked very de
termined and hurriedly said that h,
had planned scheme, q side issue
during the night and wanted me t,
join him. Bill had not slept or eatel
much since the slide, SO worried ha,
lie been and anxious to rescue tn
buried men. He had several hundre,
feet of small, strong rope with him
and after a hurried breakfast at tn
officers mess five of us set out o.
snOwshoes.
(Which way, Bill?"
ITO the f1ume," was all he said.
did not urge him; it only irritate
strong man to ask him to disclose hi
plans in time of action. l decided t
follow and await developments.
The ascent of the precipitous butt
in the gray Of morning was no eas,
task, but by taking a somewhat CHI
cuitous route, which followed a 'hoe
back" we avoided the sleeper slope
and before long reached the expose,
portion of the wooden fume.
"And now" said Bill, "we'll NOV
down as far as we can along til
flume."
We did so, and after travelling
short distance below the point wher
the snow first covered the plankina
we dug several feet and cleared tn
boards.
The sceheme had gradually un
folded itself to me. l saw it ali now
Bill was going to have himself lowere,
down the fume and, If possible
through the twenty ty-four-inch metalli
conduit, which prolonged the fume q
short distance from the mill. Thel
he would trust to luck ut gettin,
through the turbine and into the build
ing. And this was the man who, dur
ing the tumultuous troubles of the pre-
ceeding summer, had stood loyal t,