Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-05-05
R DEAD BODIES.
Ali Were Laid Out in a Row and Were
Victims Of the Disastrous Snow
Slide in Alaska.
,orresnondence OF the Ledger.

Correspondence OF the Ledger.
SHEEP CANT, ALASKA, April 5.-At
8 q. m. on April 3 w. F. Smith, Super
intendent of the Yukon safety COM
mittee, went up the trail to Chilkoot
Pass to notify parties to vacate as
there was danger of a snow slide.
Some left; others stayed and found a
snowy grave.
The snow had been falling steady
for "a hours and at 8 p. m. it began to
slip down the mountain off of the old
snow that was coated like glass. At
daylight there were about 100 men
coming up the mountain with loads on
their backs and others we're hauling
up with blocks and pulleys.
The wind started up about s a. m.
and the snow began to slip. Mr.. Hol-
observation-disclosures coffee restaurant
at the Scales, knowing tne uauger,
procured a rope 200 feet long and yell
ed to the men to take hold of the rope
and he would pilot them down the
pass. About 20 men and one woman
eagerly took the rope and they start
ed down the mountain trail when a
small slide covered a few men and the
woman, but these were soon extricat-
ed and they started again, led by the
intrepid Holbrook. They had not
proceeded far when the whole side of
the mountain seemed to be slipping
down upon them. The woman let
loose of the rope saying she did not
want to be engulfed a second timo. A
moment later she was entombed in 40
feet of snow. Her remains were dug
out 8 hours later.
Seven or eight of the men, includ-
ing Holbrook, have shown up; the
balance of the rs are supposed to be
under the snow except those taken
out. Five that were soon taken out
were resuscitated and brought back to
life. Forty bodies lay here in the
morgue. Several men are making
collins out of rough plank procured at
the saw mill. Relief parties are bring
ing more bodies every hour and it Is
impossible to tell how many were
killed.
The Purcell party are safe as they
were camped one mile further down
the mountain. You can depend upon a
Missourian looking out for number one
every time. Hagan Barker and Huber
Watkins, of M~artinsburg, were camp
ed well up the trail, but they were not
injured in the least.
Anyone wishing to get reliable in
formation about missing friends can
do so by addressing, with stamp, any
Of the following gentlemen, who are
on the citizens committee: Geo. E.
Wilcox, proprietor Montezuma Hotel;
l.. Gard, proprietor Seattle Hotel; F.
W. P. Smith, Superintendent Yukon
Protection Committee, all of Sheep
Camp, Alaska. These men will take
pleasure in giving all the information
In their power.
Yesterday it was rumored that Rev.
Headlngton would hold services at
the morgue, but as 1 vas obliged to go
to Dyea 1 could not attend. 1t is a
very serious thing to zee forty stall
wart men laid out in a row and it Is
enough to make the stalwart hearts
quake.
At midnight Sunday night a hard
wind came up and some of the tents
were blown down and the people who
were living in houses in Sheep Camp
came running out in their night robes
terror stricken, fearing another slide.
To add to the confusion all the dogs in
camp, of which there are several hun
dred, commenced to howl and it
seemed that bedlam was turned loose
for a while, but no damage was done
ut all.
/ received the papers yesterday;
thanks for same. / will be here for 3
weeks yet, as 1t is hazardous to at
tempt the pass now. Please send pa
pers to Sheep Camp, r of post
master at Dyea and obligo. Sheep
Camp, where we r located, Is a val.
ley half mile wide. The people say
we are In no danger. I expect to con-
tinue on the journey, but will be very
careful and take advice of old noun
~taineers. Yours truly,
G. W. WYLDE.