Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-06-16
DOWN THE FLUME.


during the exciting days of the grea
snowstorm. The miners gave him tina
name because he had gone to colleg,
with governor Of one of our eastern
states He was educated for the bar, bu
drink made him miner, and now thai
he was reformed the company made hin
foreman When the storm commenced,
the mills We're 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 immense
snowslide had occurred during the night
at the upper end. I procured pair of
snowshoes and hurried to the scene. The
manager and Bill We're experimenting
the working Of scores Of miners-in fact,
all the available men.
whats the matter, Bill?' 1 inquired.
"The men at the upper mill are buried
in this mountain of snow, he answered
What! How many?"
-Four You see, the miners at the
boarding house there below 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 foot
ing.
The wind was now blowing in gusts,
carrying clouds Of snow from the buttes
above, swirling down the slopes, eddy
ing through the gulches and banking the
white powder at the very feet of the
miners. Shovels were powerless, but the
men worked Oh in the firm belief that
they would reach their comrades But
no one knew whether the old building
had stood the strain and that the poor
fellows were alive.
Its 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 it is
all we can do, " slowly replied the man
ager.
There was momentary lull in the
storm, when the governor remarked,
with an anxious face: "Look at the
streak down the butte. That must have
been the path Of the slide. ="
"Yes, it originated OIL the smooth
fume. A binding rush of snow from
over the mountains shut out the view.
"The wind keeps the fume bare near the
top Of the slope" added the manager
after we had shifted our positions, for
the snow was drifting about u.s.
All day long the men toiled, and all
that night reliefs We're working, but
progress in the shaft was slow, as the
snow continually caved in or was carried
in by the wind During the following
day and night there was no let up in
the work. To me affairs looked more
hopeful, for the storm had spent it's
fury and was now subsiding. That
night asked Bill how deep he thought
the snow was where the men were work
ing.
tits hundred feet if an inch," he
replied, "and we have not made more
than 40. Thirty more feet should bring
Us to the roof, but, you see, it becomes
harder the deeper we get"
Evidently Bill did not take as hope
'ul view Of affairs. I had moved my
bunk to the Office building, and early
he following morning was aroused by
! loud knocking at the door. 1t was the
governor He looked very determined
md hurriedly said that he had planned
! scheme, a side issue, during the night
md wanted me to join him. Bill had
lot slept or eaten much since the slide,
o worried had he been and anxious to
escue the buried men. He had several
hundred feet of small, strong rope with
lin, and after hurried breakfast at
he officers mess five Of us set out on
nowshoes.
(Which way, Bill?"
TO the fume," was all he said.
did not urge him; it only irritates
strong man to ask him to disclose his
lans in time Of action. decided to fol-
ow and await developments
The ascent of the PERCEPTIONS butte in
he gray Of morning was no easy task,
ut by taking a somewhat circuitous
QUITE, which followed "hogback, we
voided the sleeper slope and before long
cached the exposed portion Of the
,ooden flume.
"And now," said Bill well move
own as far us we can along the fume."
We did 3d. and after travelling a short
istance below the point where the snow
rst covered the planking we dug sew
raj feet and cleared the boards.
The scheme had gradually unfolded
self to me. I saw it all now. Bill was
Ding to have himself lowered down the
ume and, if possible, through the "a
lch metallic conduit, which prolonged
10 fume at short distance from the
I'LL Then he would trust to luck at
citing through the turbine and into the
hiding. And this was the man who,
uring the tumultuous troubles of pre-
,ding summer, had stood loyal to the
and with a few brave men
I'd kept these same miners at the lower
I'd Of the gulch away from the com. !