The San Francisco call., 1897-09-26

The gl acier is coming down; get out OF the
way, or you will all be drowned ~
Those who heard stood moment unde-
cided, then ran for their lives for the
mountain side. They were not minute
forewarned. They had not reached the
side hllls before rushing torrent, with
comb OF ioam and throwing spray high in
the air. was seen sweeping down the can
yon. At place where the walls come to-
ward each other and the canyon narrows
to gorge, the wave is variously described
as from ten TO twenty feet in height. 1t
carried powders as big as freightcars and
hogshesds and rocks as BIZ barrels.
The rocks crashed together with the boom
OF cannon, and with the roar of the tor
rent thundered down the valley. What is
known as the Stone House, on the Dyea
trail. aoout mile from the summit, is a
huge solid rock. nearly fifty feet high and
about forty by forty at the base, with the
top shaped like roof. 1t was struck by
the powders carried by the torrent, rolled
over and uprigh hted again into its original
position, several hundred feet below where
it first stood.
Not rock In the upper canyon was un-
moved. The smaller rocks and pebbles
cracked against the SIDES of the larger ones
like the rattle of infantry, but the sound
was almost subdued by the overwhelming
wafer.
On irresistibly poured the torrent. A
moment more and its frothing mouth
overhung the camp and devoured it at a
gulp. Seized by the fluid hurricane tents
with clashing ridgepoles and swapping
IL.
earth. The sleepers awoke to find them
selves immersed. Men. stakes. logs camp
stoves. sleds, boxes, tinware. clothing,
frying-paDs, red blankets, kettles, hats
glittering spoons, loaves of bread and all
kinds of camp utensils were held poised
on the crest OF the water and then rolled
over and over on its surface. The camp
was picked up as easily as floating down
from a thistle. How the men enveloped
IN their blankets got out alive, even they
cannot imagine. 1t was a miraculous es-
cape.- Alter the flood had passed they lay
choking and gasping on the dripping
rocks like SO many suffocating fish. OF
the $50 and more tents only about one
third rem aimed. These lay near the foot
of the mountain, or over on the other side
of the canyon out of the course of the tor
rent.
Flour, sides of bacon, sacks of sugar
and other provisions, clothing and other
Klondike property lay wet and ruined, all
except the bacon, among the rocks. In
FIVE minutes the stream had receded to
its normal proportions at this time of
The year. The surv wing campers met at
once, organized, appointed large investi-
eating and relief committees, and before
8 o'clock these committees were out
tramping in the path of the food at
work.
Choynski was found lying near the
Stone House bleeding and dying. His
body was nearly torn asunder. 1t was so
badly lacerated that his clothes had to be
cut from him. He had been caught in
the center OF the tidal wave, tum mbled over
and over, banged against rocks, crushed
by powders and partly buried in sand.
He and his partner Flynn, had come
down TO tue river to wash their faces and
get bucket of water to use in preparing
breakfa fast. They heard q terrible rush
and roar, stood up to see the torrent al
most upon them and could not escape
He had time to gasp these few particulars
before he died.
The search for his partner Flynn, was
naxt begun. He was discovered about 800
yards down on the other side of the can
yon, between two bowlGers and lying
partly under one. dead. The face was
partly crushed. The clothing resem bled
that worn by Flynn. If not Flynn it was
some other man unaccounted for. This
completes the list OF the dead so far as is
known.
The scattered property was rounded up
from the various locations along the mile
and half over which it was strewn. The
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