The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-03-04
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O00p-1now REGIONS OF Califoruia-ToWne5
and Houses Obliterated.
The popular impression of California
is region of perennial summer, where.
the orange, fig, lemon and pomegranates
flourish and flowers bloom the year
around; but this is true only Of the
lowland counties. California is q re-
markable state. Some of it's counties
are as large as many states and as bar
rem as some very poor ones.
While California is famous as being
the land of flowers and for its mild win
ters, it is also the land of extraordinary
snowstorms, which may be seen under
many and varying conditions. Per-
haps the most attractive exhibitions are
seen in southern California, where from
the San Gabriel valley one can watch
the snow falling in the mountains while
standing in the orange groves, SUR
rounded by flowers and all the condi-
tons of summer. The mountains are
then covered with snow down to the
2,5oo-foot level, and the jewellers in the
valleys go up the trails and the noun
tain railroad and, bringing down huge
snowballs and snow men, deposit them
in the fields of wild flowers, effecting
the change in so or 20 minutes, to the
wonder of the tourists. .
The winter of 1890 was one that will
long be remembered in Plumas county.
In the town of Quincy the snow was
nine feet deep on the level without
drifting, and where it drifted it was
heaped up in literal snow mountains
1t so happened that a man from the
east was obliged to go to a town named
Eureka Mills on some business of i'm
portance, and after some difficulty OBJ
tanned q guide who would take him
over the mountains. Their horses wore
Eaowshoes as we'll as the men, and some
Of the STOW they passed over, Judging
from the trees, must have been 40 or
more feet deep. The supposed locality
Of the Mills was finally reached. The
range of the hills near which the town
stood was there, but the town was, to
all intents and purposes, wiped out.
Finally smoke was seen rising from the
snow, which, when approached, was
found to come from spliced chimney,
Tar below which was a house; as the
snow had fallen the occupants had
spliced the chimney, keeping pace with
the deposit.
Moving around the chimney, the
strangers found a chute leading down
at an angle5of IS degrees, and entering,
slid down to what proved to be the at.
tic window of the house, thence max:
ing their way down the stairs into the
buried residence. The entire settle.
ment was buried under this terrible
bed of snow, and families were living
from 10 to 20 feet below the surface,
using lamps by day as we'll as by night.
The men we're all miners, and as the,
mines were under ground certain work
was continued. But there was much
suffering, as on coming out of the mines
some of the men were often unable to
find their homes. Finally every oneplant-
ed in the snow over his house flagstaff
with flag, but even these were some
times buried by the constant storms of
this Observation-Disclosures year. The
snow in the deep canyons became so
deep that the miners who lived in them
lad to leave, fearing the avalanches
which came rushing down the noun
tain side after every fresh storm. Final
1y the more open canyons became I'M
safe, and one day, with an appalling
roar, huge masses of snow went rush
ing down, crushing large part of the
town of Sierra City. Z
Possibly the most famous town for
it's experiences with snow is Gibbons
vile, in Sierra county. Photographs
show the tops of tall houses project
ing from snow on the level. Snow IS
feet on the level is common there in
February and March, while snow 30
feet deep is not uncommon. Then the
houses are almost covered, many small
ones being entirely concealed, the own
crs having to climb up and clear away
the snow so that it will not crush in the
roofs. All communication with the OUT
side world is often stopped for days.
and for weeks the mail is carried by
specially selected men, who traverse
the mountain ON snowshoes, often ac-
comprising remarkable feats on the
long, slender skis which they use.-N.
Y. Post.