The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-31
CAUGHT IN SNOW SLIDE.



Getting lost In snowstorms and falling
into erevices In the ice are not the only
daagers encountered by the Copper river
prospectors in pushing their way across
the yaIdes glacier Snow slides on the
glacier are OF frequent occurrence. but
have in the past been little feared. The
experience Frank Haines and James
N Pierce had with slide few days
before the schooner Moonlight sailed for
Seattle nearly cost them their lives. and
has caused prosDectors TO change their
ideas regarding the dangers OF slides.
Pierce and Haines have been on the
glacier for several months and have made
good progress. They were past several OF
the benches on March g. and had their
tent pitched close to the edge OF steep
slope Of the third bench. Both men were
In bed and sleeping sound.y, when a slide
started from the top of the slope and
came down with great force. The noise
OF the oneoming slide did not awaken
Them and II Ia doubtful II they could have
made their escape II they had. They were
awakened by the falling OF the tent. and
n moment later they were under eight feet
OF heavily packed snow. Haines Jared
better than his companion. for he had
the Use of one arm, He managed to chew
a hole through the canvas tent. which
enabled hin. TO breathe more easily. After
u
BUSINESS Of the situation in which they
were placed. They could hear each Others
voices, and decided that their only hope OF
safety was To keep awake by talking un-
I'll the men camping near by dug them
out After about an hour Pierce becams
unconscious and his partner thought he
was dead Haines managed TO keep awake
for another hour until help reached them.
The other prospectors In the vicinity
nv nss o,tA nd ~
noticed that the tent occupied by the two
men was covered up. Ii took them two
hours 10 locate the tent and 10 dig through
the snow. Pierce was unconscious, bat
SIT, alive. After an hours hard work he
was brought back to consciousness. and In
few days was entirely recovered. Hainss
suffered TO serious effects from the slide
Their tent and camp stove was lost tn
the snow. and II was 10 procure others
that Ha'nes made trip back TO Copper
CITY. II was there Can't. Leonard R2ar
of the Moonlight. met him and heard OF
the slide, Haines and Pierce have had
lots Of trouble since they left Seattle last
fail with three other men. forming what
WAS known as the Witch City Mining
Company, They were from Boston. Two
members OF the party were murdered at
Copper City short ,irse ago by cowboy
who had made the fifth one OF the party
The indignant proSpeetors hung the COW
boy. In spite OF their setbacks. Haines
and Pierce are determined TO push on.
and are stiN packing across the glacier
The schooner Moonlight arrived in port
yesterday afternoon at 80 o'clock and
anchored AZ West Seattle. Capt; Bser re-
ported very uneventsul trip both 90 and
from Prince William sound. He had bad
weather. eut no serious storms. lie left
Copper city on March IS and was nine
aay5 from cape To cape. He had no nas~
sensets on The return trip. as no one was
sufficiently discouraged TO turn back The
Moonlight is new owned by the Connect
eat and Alsska Mining Company. and Will
he operated by them between Seattle and
Copper City.