The Springfield herald., 1898-04-15
AN ALASKA HORROR.
An Avalanche on the Chilkoot Trail Kills
Large Number.

Large Number.
Skaguay, Alaska, April 3 (via Seat
tle Wash, April Sat about noon to-
day on the Chil!Soot trail, between the
Gales and Stone house, at least thirty
one men met death, and a large num-
ber Of others were injured more or less
seriously in snow slide.
The dead We're crushed under an
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 We're 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 nt which the accident Oc
CURED Is some five miles above Sheep
Camp. The nearest telephone sta ton is
four miles distant. The Scales are
some five miles above Sheep Camp
The telephone wires at this point Were
carried away by the slide. This fact
makes 1t difficult to obtain further par
ticulars at this time.
Thousands of people We're encampcd
in the vicinity of the accident at the
dering such assistance ms was posi-
Bile. Upon receipt of the news points
below Dyea telephoned up to know If
assistance was required, and received
answer to the effect that 5000 people
were at work on the debris and Were
only in each others way.
Skaguay, Alaska, April (via Vie
toria, 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 thai
many more lives were lost that at first
thought possible. 1t is now believed
that between fifty and 100 men and
women were killed by the avalanche
Many bodies will never be recovered
until the summer sun melts the tons of
snow and ice that now bury them from
sight.
Two or three thousand men are work
ing in relays of as many ms can stand
side by side shoveling away the debris
in search of the dead 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 Tram Company, who
went to the summit on the morning of
the slide to work, are missing and 1t is
feared that they are among the lost.
1t is estimated that 10000 tons of
outfits are buried under the snow and
ice. There We're several smaller slides
before the death dealing avalanche
was started.
About 2 n. m. on the morning small
slide occurred which buried several
cabins. The alarm was spread and
many people We're endeavoring to work
back 10 Sheep Camp when the biggest
occurred. The snow storm was blind
ing and crowds We're coming down by
the aid of n rope and We're overtaken.
The exact location of the slide is
given at two and half miles above
Sheep Camp and 100 yards above the
Oregon Improvement Company's
power house. Here an immense gorge
rises Mt very steep incline into the
hills, and ii WAS down this the ava
lanche came. The telephone office here
has been thronged all day aAi night
with friends anxious to get word of
friends believed to have been in the
disaster. The wires are working well
and information is gotten here direct
from the scene as rapidly as 1t is gath
cred.
Many people have gone from this
city and Dyea to Sheep Camp to aid
in the work of rescue. 1t Is believed
that when the full returns are in the
dead will number nearer 100 than fifty.
The slide covered the trail for several
hundred yards at depth of fifty feet
in many places. 1t has effectually
blocked travel for the present, and it
will be some time before 1t can be re-
sumed.