Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-21
ONE OF THE SURVIVORS.
A Pennsylvania Tells Of His Experience in
the Chi'coot Avalanche.
F'rom the Punxutawney Spirit.

F'rom the Punxutawney Spirit)
Milton Black who lives near this town.
returned home. last week, from a journey
to the gold fields of Alaska. He was
caught. with 2.o others. in the great snow
slide in Chilkoot Pass, April 8. in which
Mrs. Maxson of this place lost her life,
and had thrilling experience and an
almost miraculous escape from death.
He was buried under % feet of snow for
eight hours and was finally dug out
alive, but so much the worse for the ac-
cident that he found il impossible to pro-
coed on his journey, the long interment
under the snow having SO injured his
lungs as to produce violent hemorrhages.
1t is interesting to hear Mr. Black tell
OF his experience, and of the wickedness
OF the average klondilSer. AS soon as
school is OUT There's no further use for
hymn book] and prayer meetings are
not in it,.
There were about 800 people in the party
with whom Mr. Black entered Chilkoot
Pass. They had pitched their tents to
came down upon them, covering their
tents. After considerable iabor they all
managed to get out. They concluded to
get through the pass as quickly as pos
sible, and for that purpose all took hold
of long rope. with the guide in front
Mrs. Maxson. who had been covered up
with snow once, was discouraged and
historical. She said she would go no
and die rather than attempt to go
through the pass. She was urged to take
hold of the rope, put would not Two or
three stalwart men offered to carry her.
saying that they would not go on and
leave woman to die. She would not be
carried. While they sparIeyed for 10 min
utes the second slide came. which they
would have escaped had there been no
delay. About 100 of them We're covered
beneath % and 30feet of snow.
Those v-hn uara NOT ca,,ohf Nv, .l,o eli5o
went to work at once to dig the others
out. 1t was SLOW ana arduous task, and
out of 81 persons thus buried only seven
We're taken out alive. One Of these was
Milton Black.
The slide occurred at o'clock In the
morning, and he remained buried until 5
O'Clock in the evening. One popularity
OF his situation when covered up with
the snow. Mr.. Black says, was that he
could hear just as well as though he had
been in the open air. The groans pray
ers, lamentations and curses of those be-
meath the avalanche were plainly audible
Some prayed fervently, babe goodby, to
their friends. and gave up. Others cursed
their fate, and used their last breath to
utter profanity.
II made up my mind.'' says Black.
"that would die as had lived, and that
it was no use to pray at that stage Of the
game. II seemed to me that / got
breath about every five minutes / had
little hope of escape. but resolved to live
as long as l could. The snow was packed,
so tightly about me that could rot move
a fraction of an incn. 1 thought every
time l got a breath of air that that was
my last one. but l never became uncon-
scious. and it seemed to me that had
been there at least a week when shovel
struck my shoulder and | heard a voice
saying:
have struck a man.
is he dead or alive?' said another
voice.
don't know. answered the man with
the shovel. and he seon had my head UNI
covered. When ! got good breath of
There Is woman right in front of me.
Dig her out. l have air now and can
wait. They then proceeded to uncover
Mrs. Maxson. But she was dead. You
snow was packed continued Mr.. BLACK
when ! tell you that when they had me