Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-05-05
THE TERRIBLE ALASKAN SNOW
SLIDE AS DESCRIBED BY
MR.. HEADINGTON. Bls St.
One Among the Greatest Calamlties
Ever Witnessed in that Country
The Manner of Death Graph
really Described.

yet recorded an event of the kind g,
rare in magnitude and SO calamitous i,
its effect. / will endeavor In this brie
and imperfect article to give the read
er some idea of this sad event. Firs
we must get view of the surrounding
and existing conditions at the time O
the event.
First, the reader must remembe
that the narrow valley of the Dye,
River is the route of the trail Away
ascending from Dyea to the summit o.
great pass. This valley is not NOR,
than half mile wide at any point an,
at the entrance of the canyon at Can
yon City is, in places, not more thar
10 feet wide with perpendicular wall
hundreds of feet high. Vast ranges O
mountains sloping to the valley are OF
either side all the way, sloping from
to 10 miles from the heights above
These great mountains hold ON thei
tops and sides millions and billions o
tons of snow. The law of gravitatior
inclines all this vast weight to the val
ley below. Upon moments refiec
tion you viii not wonder that it break
loose aud slides down, often from II
tc 15 miles. First you can imagin,
the incaiculable weight and increasing
velocity of such slide.
From Sheep Camp, distance of 81,
miles, to the Scales, the foot of the
last ascent, the defile is quite marrow
most of the way and the mountain,
on either side are precipaitous. Tht
ascent is so great that a man cannot
walk up without the aid of ice creep
ers. Half way from Sheep Camp t.
Scales there is long steep ascent anl
on top of this is an opening or extend.
ing of the valley from 100 to 150 feet
Here is a fat or level with steer
mountains on either side. Thousands
have made this a place of deposit
and camping-a half way place. But
only a few have set theii
tents in this dangerous place. 1t was
here the first great snow slide came
at about 7:30 O'Clock on Sunday morn
ing, April 8. At that hour snow wal
falling rapidly and had accumulated
during the night to depth of feet
We had orders from Capt. Purcell tc
remain in our tents closely. This we
did. But the eagerness of thousands
to get.on was so great that many were
at that early hour to break
through the snow and often the trail.
No Lords day of rest and worship for
this class. Without a word of warning
there came simultaneously and
strangely snow slide from both sides
Of the defile. The old snow was COM
pact and as smooth as glass. The newly
formed snow, 4 feet deep, was wet and
heavy. Its enormous weight gave 1t a
start and the velocity of it near the
'oot of the incline must have been
great. The storm was binding, the
lir filed with small snow balls Great
ng g scen1 IN ipseIf of confusion, and
20 anyone but a Klone.Ier, ,consterna-
ion. Men with sleds Tossed 80
aced were dragging their heavy loads
of the awful doom await
ing them. 1t is said no sound was
heard above the storm except a whis-
,Ie as of whiriwind. In an instant Ii
persons were buried at a depth oi
from 10 to 20 feet in graves of snow
Fifteen bodies have been recovered
from this slide, but no one knows how
many yet remain-many of them unit
Gabriel sounds his trumpet. A mar
had been on the trail with great cz
and with whom 1 had talked often
having two male companions. HI
had camped at this place of deposit
He and his companions were fount
dead but the OK was eating hay ant
escaped injury. No one knows how
many tents were in this valley or hov
many remain under the snow. Twt
Thousand men have been excavatinl
since the slide and bodie
are being found frequentiy--sevel
yesterday. Three men were foun'
in their robes just as the.
had retired, sleeping their last sleep
1t was all over with them and tn
the journey was ended. When thes
men were taken out woman rushel
up and looked at them and said
"These poor devils will never get owe
the pass" AS a rule, men are YER
sympathetic on this trail and we woul
expect that the tender heart of woma
would shudder at such eight. Ho'
depraved are some hearts in thi
wicked world.
The greatest slide and calamit
occurred alb owe this one at 1890 p. m
same day--on next to the last steel
incline before reaching the Scales
which is simply bench or fat G
about ten acres lying at the foot Of th
last great ascent. The storm was 8
terrific, the wind blowing and tn
snow 80 binding, that panic ws
raised at the Scales and the only wa
of escape was down the pass to Shee
Camp. To remain was supposed {
be death and to venture to 60 dow
was to take the last chance for LII,
A rope about 100 feet long wa
secured and O leader was found [
take the end of the rope and lea
Eighty persons, it is supposed, graspt
this rope and attempted to follow u
leader. The storm was go blindir
that one could not discriminate .
object two feet distant. The Or
descent was made in safety, but at "a
middle of the second one an svalauci
of snow came down the mountain eli
from the left covering the whole cor
; pany to depth Of from 10 to 20 fet
Not more than one-third of these ha'
been recovered. Many of them ha,
no frienda and will never be missed
the vast throngs that crowd this tra
Companies Of or s, keeping 10 ther
seIveg and making nc acqusintanct
may be covered in their tents with
feet Of snow. The scene 10 sad o.