The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-09-25
Many People Killed in q Snow.
slide in Alaska.
ENTIRE CAMP SWEPT AWAY
The Worst Rain Storm OF the Year
Loosened Part OF q Huge Glacier
Which Came laundering Down
the Mountain Side.

Skaguay with news of a land or glacier
slide On the Dyea trail last Saturday,
accompanied by the loss of several
people. the exact number not being
known. Eighteen persons In all-l7 men
and one woman-were reported MISS
ing, and while d Is not supposed that
more than seven or eight were killed II
would not surprise those who brought
out the news Ia learn later that none
of the missing ever turned up alive.
The accident IL described by some as a
snowslide, by others as a landslide. and
ay others az the tearing loose by the
rains Of a huge glacier that oyerhung
Sheep camp and the trail.
The news reached Skaguay Sunday
evening and the tug Pioneer left there
at o'clock Monday morning. William
Sprague. brother OF Captain Sprague Of
the tug Sea Lion. was a passenger on
the Pioneer. and he tells the following
story of the destructive slide:
Il heard the news of the slide on
Sunday evening from man who
claimed 10 have witnessed IL. The ac-
cident was caused by the rain. During
the first part OF the week IL was cold
and ice had formed all around. On
Thursday a change came and Thurs
nay ahh Itthas nhk
was a warm rain accompanied by a
Chinook wind which thawed out every
thing. The rain came down In torrents.
the worst storm of the year for thar
section. and continued all Friday and
Saturday forenoon. About noon ON
Saturday the slide came. striking the
Dyea trail at Sheep camp. Just what
caused IL could no; 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
Hood and IL was literally wiped out of
existence. Fortunately there were not
many people there on that day COM
pared with the number usually at the
camp. This II where the loss of life
occurred. Everybody left their out
fits and baggage behind and lied fer
their lives. Some were caught in the
deluge. Just how many may never be
known. but IL were missing altogether.
Two ~ them were "a man and hts wife
named Crockett. I believe. who were
running a restaurant at Sheep Ca,,p.
II Is believed that the woman at least
was lost. No trace of either Of them
had been found or reported up To the
time ] left Skaguay.
'one body had been found. IN vas
that Of Choynski, cousin of the prize
fighter. He was found a quarter NJ a
mile from where he had been canned
on the trail and was in terr'blt con-
dition when discovered. All his clothes
had been torn from his body. which
was bruised and nianeled. hut he was
not dead when discovered. Ha was
suffering untold agony and died within
short time after being found. Four
or five other missing men werA Indian
packers. and one of them is reported
10 have had $1,000 with him anI was
just starting out for Dyea when the
slide came. There II great excitement
along the trail and at Dyea and slSag-
uay over the report that 30 persons
had been killed. but the facts are as
have stated already"
Charles Finn, assistant engineer If
the Pioneer. confirms the story told
by Mr.. Sprague He was on the shore
at Skaguay Till = o'clock Monday moro-
ing and made diligent Inquiries tpou.
the reported land slide. Mr.. Finn be-
lieves that one of the glaciers which
are Ia be seen hanging along the noun
tain sides was washed out by the
heavy rains and that IL came crashing
down the hill. dealing destruction
along it's path. Just before reaching
the trail and Sheep Camp this glacier
swept through lake at the foot of
one Of the hills and instantly there
was an outlet for the lake and ITS
waters followed the glacier and num.r-
aus boulders az they came crashing
along through Sheep Camp. This Nj.
Finn believes is a reasonable explana-
tion of the accident and he IL certain
from what he heard while on shore
that at least seven were drowned or
crushed to death I'm the slide.
The slide left destruction along Its
path" said Mr.. Finn. ''and the waters
were 80 swollen that the foot bridge at
the mouth of the Skaguay river. which
was erected at the time of the drown
ing there. was washed out. One 0f the
men I talked with was an Indian pack
or who had escaped the Hood by run
ming. and he declared that Il was the
worst storm he had ever known in that
country. He knew the names of sew
eral Of the missing. but was soon too
drunk after landing In Skaguay to talk
intellieently on any subject. There is
CONSERVATION at Dyea and Skaguay
over the report Of the accident. and IT
will deter hundreds from trying tn
make II across this year. I was told
that the Skaguay trail was literally
obliierated and that there Is no use
trying To get over It again this year.
Charles Tinslay. chief engineer of the
| tug tlpnttI, iaiktu WIN an lnulan VINO
Witnessed the avalanche at Sheep
Camp. The Indian called "a a Snow
slide and said II carried everything be-
fore II down thu mountain side. and IL
was his belief that all reported missing
would be found dead. But the Indian
was very much excited and Tinsley
thinks only few were killed.
Captain Neilsen of the Pioneer de-
scribes the rainstorm ~ last week at
SkaguGy as the worst he ever Wit
ne ssed II came down In torrents. and
there was foaming mass of water
I pouring down tn mountain sides at
Skaguay. the mud and slush being
! three feet deep. where a few weeks sgo
the ground was Us hard as floor
I Captain Nelson asserts that the Skag
/ uay trail was entirely obliterated by
, the storm " last week. and is now be-
/ ing abandoned by everyone there. II Is
/ Captain Nelson's opinion that on ac.
count of the warning given by the on
/ coming Hood II will be- found that near.
~ all succeeded In escaping with theft
lives. At the same time he says thai
Those who were in the path Of the Hood
and avalanche certainly went TO de
structlon.