The record-union., 1897-09-25

S4lQE
I heard the news of the slide on
Sunday evening from a man who
claimed to have witnessed it. The &C
cident was caused by the rain. Dur
ing the first part of the week it was
cold, and ice had formed all around.
On Thursday change came, and
Thursday night and Friday morning
there was a warm rain, accompanied
by a Chinook wind, which thawed out
everything The rain came down in
torrents, the worst storm of the year
for that section, and continued all Fri
day and Saturday forenoon About
noon on Saturday the slide came. Etr1k-
ing the Dysa trail at Sheep Camp. Just
what caused 1t could not be told, but
there came a slide of earth and rocks
and water that carried all in its path.
Sheep Camp was in the path of the
food, and it was literally wiped out OF
existence. Fortunately. there We're not
many people there on that day, com
pared iwth the number usually at the
camp. This is where the loss of life
occurred. Everybody left their outfits
and baggage behind and fed for life
Some were caught in the deluge. Just
eighteen were missing altogether. Two
of them We're a man and his wife
named Crockett, I believe, who We're
running a restaurant at Sheep Camp.
1t is believed that the woman at least
was lost. No trace Of either of them
had been found or reported up to the
time I left Skaguay. One body had
been found 1t was that of Choynski,
a cousin of the pugilist. He was found
a quarter of a mile from where he
had been camped on the trail. and was
in a terrible condition when discovered.
All his clothes had been torn from the
body. which was bruised and mangled.
but he was not dead when discovered.
He was suffering untold agony, and
died within a short time after being
found. Four or five other missing men
were Indian packers and one of them
is reported to have had 81 600 with him,
and was just starting out for Dyea
when the slide came. There is great
excitement along the trail and at Dyea
and Skaguay over the report of the big
slide, and it was finally reported that
fifty persons had been killed but the
facts are as l have stated them al
ready
Charles Finn, assistant engineer of
the Pioneer, confirms the story told by
Mr.. Sprague. He was on the shore at
Skaguay until = o'clock Monday morn
ing, and made a diligent inquiry about
the reported landslide. Mr.. Finn be-
lieves that one of the glaciers, which
are to be seen hanging along the
mountain sides, was washed out by the
heavy rains. and that it came crashing
down the hill. dealing destruction along
its path Just before reaching the trail
and Sheep Camp this glacier swept
through a lake at the foot of one of the
hills, and instantly there was an exit
for the lake, and its waters followed
the glacier and numerous powders as
they came crashing along through
Sheep Camp. This, says Mr.. Finn, is a
reasonable explanation of the accident,
and he is certain from what he heard
while on shore that at least seven were
drowned or crushed to death in the
slide.
THE slide left destruction along its
path" said Mr.. Finn, "and the waters
were so swollen that the footbrdge az
the mouth of the Skaguay River. which
was erected at the time Of the drown
ing there. was washed out. One of
the men I talked with was an Indian
packer who had escaped the flood by
running, and he declared that it was
the worst storm he had ever known in
that country. He knew the names of
several of the missing, but was soon
too drunk after landing in Skaguay to
talk intelligently on any subject.
There is CONSERVATION at Dyea and
Skaguay over the report of the acci-
dent, and 1t will deter hundreds from
trying to make it across this year. 1
was told that the Skaguay trail was
literally obliterated, and that there is
no use trying to get over it again this
year"
Charles Tinsley, Chief Engineer of the
tug Pioneer. talked with an Indian who
witnessed the avalanche at Sheep
Camp. The Indian called it snow
slide and said it carried everything
before it down the mountain side. and
it was his belief that all reported miss
ing would be found dead But the In
dian was very much excited. and Tins
ley thinks only a few We're killed.
ONE OF THE KILLED.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 24.-Aaron
NJ Choynski who was one of the vic
TINS of the Chilcoot Pass disaster, was
well known in this city. He was the
second son of Isaiah Choynski, a vet
eran journalist, now on the "Chroni-
Gle" and a cousin of Joe Choynski, the
pugilist He was born in San Fran
cisco twenty-four years ago. By trade
he was a tile filter and for ten years
was employed by w. w. Montague &
Co., who gave him the highest recon-
mendations on his departure for the
north. In amateur athletic circles he
was noted as a clever boxer, a speedy
sprinter and a good wheelman. He
left here on July 31st for the Klondike
on the steamer Willamette, being one
of a party of five young men, all well
equipped for the trip.
MANY MINERS RETURNING.
ASTORIA orr, Sept. 24-The steam
er Elder arrived from Skaguay and
Dyea this evening, bringing twenty
three passengers. Thick weather de-
layed the steamer, otherwise the pas
sage was an uneventful one When
questioned about the condition of af-
fairs at Dyea and Skaguay. Captain
Jensen said that there was a disgusted
set of men at Skaguay, many of whom
would have to winter there or return.
Purser Lambert said:
The White Pass has been almost in
accessible to anyone, and is quite so
now. Snow is falling, and severe
storms have added to the already great
difficulties of that route. A good many
people viii winter at Skaguay because
they can do nothing else. Many have
gone to Dyea and over the Chilcoot