The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-05-10

FROM DEATH TO LIFE.
Experience of One Buried Under an
Avalanche Of Snow and Ice.

Experience of One Buried Under an
Avalanche of Snow and Ice.
From life to death and back again to
life was the experience of A. Miller
Portland in the recent Chilkoot catas-
trophe.
Mr. Miller arrived in Portland yes
terday feeling fairly we'll, yet he has
not entirely recovered from the effects
of being buried beneath tons of snow
and ice. He suffered internal injury
that for a time gave the physicians
doubt as to the ultimate turn of the
case, and looks back to the loss of
many pounds of flesh as one of the
least regretful lectures of his narrow
escape. Mr.. Miller was caught under
the large slide that extended over a
mile along the trail at the Scales, be-
ing at the time, with over 100 men and
women, fleeing from what was known
to be imminent danger. After more
than two hours of Inconsistencies,
during which time Mr.. Miller was
thought by many to have taken a per-
manent abode in the shadowy realm,
he was finally revived through the good
offices of his friend, F. B. Holbrook of
Portland, and DR.. Maple, the govern
ment physician who rendered such val
liable services to the unfortunates.
About IL a. m. Mr.. Miller, with Mr..
Holbrook and party of over 100, left
the Scales, long rope being used by
the party in the same manner as by
mountain climbers. This was mainly
for the protection of the women, al
though some of the men found 1t valu-
able in clambering down the steep,
treacherous trail. Shortly after II Mr..
Miller says he was suddenly made
aware of the great avalanche by ter
rife rumble and roar from above. No
one could see it; in fact, the driving
snow made it impossible to more than
see the trail beneath their feet From
the time the first roar was heard until
the avalanche engulfed the party was
only moment. Most of those holding
the rope were struck while still bending
forward to protect their faces from the
blizzard. the mass of snow simply
crushing down to the trail. Mr.. Miller
started to turn for backward look
when caught, and was pressed down
on his side in a cramped position.
When narrating his sensations at that
time, he said:
"It is hard to tell how / felt. real
ezed our danger first, before seeming
to contemplate that / was facing death.
Knowing how we had rescued many
during the day from smaller slides, my
first thought was the chances for be-
ing rescued. My chest felt like it was
fitted into a cement tomb, permitting
no expansion. My fingers, hands, arms,
and limbs were pinioned SO that 1t
would have required great exertion to
move either. Rescue [ knew must
come soon or never, and 1 thought of
the linemen who had gone on ahead a
short time before, and of any that
might have been above the slide, as the
only ones from whom we could hope.
My breath grew shorter, l tried to blow
against the snow to enlarge the little
place where ] breathed. Each slight
eXertion warned me that 1 would rap
idly suceomb if I did not remain per-
fectly quiet. Then l was terrorized
with the thought of suffocating. 1t oc-
CURED to me that this had always been
a manner of death for which I held a
peculiar horror. To be pinioned rigid,
crushed by tons of snow, slowly dying.
while life and happiness were a few
feet above my headI AS I felt weak