The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-11

fallen On them duFsux Z small side Ihts.
Of course. caured sorae delay. The crowd
talked over the ussFes-unafe oceurrence.
little thinking that Every mue1enfs delay
nent death for more II theuA Had they
not STOPPED this ten minutes they would
have been cat OF the way OF the slice ana
all would have reachrd Sheep Camp IN
safety, They were tirei. FOR the snow had
been very deep. sonnet mes coming up 70
their waists. They wefss just preparing 10
move on when from Far up the mountain
they heard rumbhne. which Increased
into a roar as thu did gathered ,uomen-
tum and increased IN size. There Was no
time to seek place Of safety. Before the
lrss CRY Of warning was uttered the slide
was upon them The result Is shown in
the appaliingiy long list Of victims.
scene Of the Disaster.
The scene Of the iarges, avalanche is
about two niles above Sheep Camp. on
the bench Of what Is known al Long
HILL It u a mile or less below Scales.
along the ravine or valley. directly at the
foot OF high mountains. rising steeply on
both sides. Everything il covered deep
with snow except abrupt rocks and pgeei-
piceA which are to- steep to hold the
snow. and the power house Of the Oregon
Improvement Company's tramway. which
II almost over the part Of the trail In
which the most extensive loss OF life
occurred. Hundreds OF caches in the vi
cinity showed before the avalanches oc-
CURED. but they are buried now under
from four to twenty-five feet Of snow.
The mountains rise up from 1000 to 30oe
feet above the trail at this point. which
In itself over 1000 feet above sea level.
When the snow slides down the trail from
tho sides Of these mountains IL packs
so soiid,y at once tina. It can be walked
on easily without fear OF breaking through.
Successive snowfalls and slides have
raised the elevation gradually Of Long
hill. until In some places IL is forty feet
or more above the old trail. Stone house.
which has ceased to be = landmark since
the avalanche and flood last summer. Is
some distance down the trail. in the gulch.
from the foot OF Long hill. There is deep
snow all the way { own TO Sheep Camp
and some snow all tine way down to Cam
yon City, at the mouth OF the canyon.
four miles below. At Sheep Camp. and for
q mile or more above there Is little chance
for destructive avalanche at present.
for the hills are 50 far from the tents
that the snow does not reach them, even
if II does slide down the mountain sides.
There have been so few slides lately and
20 many unsophisticased men camping
here. who were perfectly ignorant OF the
conditions Incident to the mountains, that
the old-tiners would never dream OF talk
ing. The late heavy SHOWS and storms
at the summit, followed by warmer wealth
er than usual. convinced the Indians that
II was unsafe to attempt TO get up the
trail above Sheep Camp. But the new
corners knew Of no danger and went right
on with their packing and travelling on
the dangerous trail. Some OF them had
camps at Scales. almost encompassed with
m IN n
sides. The snow had beer there every day
since they arrived ard they apprehended
no danger such as overlook them. There
were many who knew Of the danger and
who would not attempt to work on the
trail. These stayed at Sheep Camp in their
tents or worked on safe sections Of the
TRAN.
where the slide Occurred.
The scene Of the most terrible disaster
that has yet overtalenn the Argonauts IL
the top Of what Is known as Hquaw hill.
1t Is less than two miles from Sheep Camp.
On the side Of the hin IL located the Pc
culiar rock that has been for years called
Stone house. The trail on the crest Of the
hill runx' within 200 feet Of tho base ot the
mountain, which rises 70 reight OF l.5c
feet above. In the center Of the bench Is
deep cut or guIch. which has this win
ter been filled almost level with snow. It
was from the top Of this gully that the
slide started.
Many Narrow Escnpea.
Walter Chappe. OF New York, is said to
have headed the ropo and broke the tra.:
for the crew on their way down from the
Scales. When the slide came he managed
to make his way out. Another report Is
that Chappe was badly injured and died
while being taken to Sheep Camp. Ben
Hurlzin, OF Detroit Men. was swept to
one side by the slide and landed with his
head and shoulder oat OF the snow. He
had shovel In ills hands, with which
good work was done. A. r. Smith, OF
Kansas City. was the iirst TO exhume HIM
self. About twenty p sons. including two
w~men. were taken oct live. Among them
was j. A. Rines. os Emporfa. Kan, who
was taken out after three hours from I'M
der twenty feet OF snow. He IL 81 years
Of age and took rart In the gold rush OF
10 He was not 5ac injured.
Mrs. Eva Patterson escape was most
wonderful. The slide split and passed on
either side Of her. She was not entirely
covered up. Both before and behind her
the snow piled MP over her companion.
Sixteen bodies had b.en taken out by
o'clock Friday evening. As late az 8
o'clock Sunday eve ning two men were
taken out from under nearly thirty feet Of
snow. One man died while being hauled
to Sheep Camp on sled: the other will
recover.
Tramway Men Buried Together.
Early Sunday mc~sing Nelson Bennett,
Of Tacoma, who Is experimenting the
operations OF the t'likoc. Railway and
Transportation Company tram. sent out
a force Of eighteen useTl 20 repair some
wires. They ia not show up Sunday
night. but II was stili believed that they
were snowbound near he summit. II was
known that they were not with the crowd
that had been swallowed up at the brow
OF Squaw hill. There was s. vong mound
OF hard-besten snow at tire foot of the
long hin. but no or srragined that II had
sid down from the mour lain. much less
Tn eighteen human betngs had been
fighting against death for hours In its lev
grasp. Thousands IT people 1assss oyer
II Sunday Afternoon nd Monday They
were bound for the scene OF the big dis
as.er.