Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-04-14
AN ALASKA HORROR.
An Avalanche on the Chiikoot Trail kills
u Largo Number.

Skaguay, Alaska, April 8 (via Seat.
tie, WASH, April 3.-At about noon to-
day on the Chilkoot trail, between the
Gales and Stone house, at least thirty
one men met death, and large num-
ber of others were injured more or less
seriously In snow slide.
The dead were crushed under IN
avalanche of ice and snow, which came
down from the mountain side upon
the left-hand side of the trail at mid
way between Scales and Stone house.
Fully fifty people were overtaken by
the slide and are either buried in the
snow or scattered along the borders of
the avalanche in more or less in
jured condition.
Twenty-Five are known to have been
killed.
The point at which the accident oc-
CURED Is some five miles above Sheep
Camp. The nearest telephone station Is
four miles distant. The Scales are
some five miles above Sheep Camp.
The telephone wires mt this point were
carried away by the slide. This fact
makes 1t difficult to obtain further par
ticulars Mt this time.
thousands Of people We're encamped
In the vicinity Of the accident Mt the
time and were soon upon the scene rem
derjng such assistance rs was possi-
bic. Upon receipt OF the news points
below Dyea telcphoncd up to know II
assistance wns required, and received
answer to the effect that 5000 people
were at work on the debris and were
only In each others way.
SkaEuay, Alaska, April 4 (vln Vic
torla. B. c., April S.-The horror on the
Dyea trail Is growing in magnitude
hourly. As the work Of rescue pro-
ceeds 1t becomes more apparent that
many more lives were lost that Mt first
thought possible. It Is now believed
TINT between fifty and 100 men and
women were killed by the avalanche.
Many bodies Will never be recovered
until the summer sun me1ts the tons Of
snow and Ice that now bury them from
sight.
Two or three thousand men nre work.
Ing In relays of as many as can stnnd
side by side shovelIng away the debris
In search Of the dend and dying.
Twenty-Five bodies have been recov-
cred and identified and twenty-five
have been taken out alive.
Seventeen employees OF the Chilkoot
Railway and Trnm Company, who
went to the summit on the morning Of
the slide TO work, are missing and II Is
feared that they are among the lost.
II is estimated that 10000 tons Of
outfits are buried under the snow and
Ice. There were several smaller slides
before the death-dealing avalanche
was stn-ted.
About 9 n. m. on the morning small
slide occurred which buried several
cabins. The alarm was spread and
many people were cndenvoring to work
back to Sheep Camp when the biggest
occurred. The snow storm was blind.
Ing and crowds were coming down by
the aid Of n rope and were overtaken.
The exact location OF the slide Is
given Mt two and half miles above
Sheep Camp and 100 yards above the
Oregon Improvement Company's
power house. Here an Immense gorge
rises nt very steep incline into the
hills. md II was down this the ava.
lnnche came. The telephone office here
hns been thronged NIL dny and nigh:
with friends anxious to get word Of
friends believed to have been In the
disaster. The wires are working well
and Information liz gotten here direct
from the scene rs rapidly us It Is gath
cred.
Many people have gone from this
city and Dyea to Sheep Camp to MD
In the work OF rescue. II Is believed
that when the. fun returns are In the
dend will number nearer 100 than fifty.
The slide covered the trail for several
hundred yards at n depth OF fifty feet
in many places. II has effectunlly
blocked travel for the present, and It
will be some time before It can be re-
sumcd.