Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-04-20
TraIi strewn with Dead.


Last Sunday afternoon disa strous
snowslide overwhelmed Chhkoot Pass
While it was crowded with miners. 1t is
thought that there are no less than 100
victims, representing nearly every State
ia the Union. Thirty-one bodies had
been recovered when the news was sent.
The accident occurred in the afternoon,
after a heavy chinook wind had softened
the snow and ice. The point of the dis
aster was about midway between Stone
house and the Scales. A brief account
OF the accident was brought TO Seattle by
the steamer Alki. The story was tele-
phoned from Dyea to Skaguay just before
the steamer sailed. 1t is known that sew
eral women were among the victims.
Fully 100 people were overtaken by the
Slide and were either buried in the snow
or scattered along the borders OF the ava
lanche in more or less injured condition.
The point at which the accident occurred
is some five mics above Sheep Camp.
The nearest telephone station is four miles
distant. The telephone wires ut Dyea
were carried away by the slide. \ blind
ing snowstorm was raging al day upon
the summit. and as a consequence many
of those in the vicinity We're making no
attempt to travel. There had been a
preliminary snowslide at = o'clock in the
morning and people on the trail were dig
ging out their goods when the second and
disastrous slide occurred. Thousands OF
peop,e were encamped in the vicinity OF
the accident at the time and were soon
upon the scene rendering such assistance
rs possible.
Thousands of Tons of Snow.
AL day Saturday and Sunday south
erly storm, with rain, wind and snow,
prevailed in the vicinity, and it is believed
the softening of the show on the mountain
side by those agencies was the cause OF
the avalanche. The quantity of snow
and ice that came down in the slide is
estimated at thousands of tons. 1t swept
directly across the trail, which, notwith-
standing the fact that the weather was
unsuitable for travel, was thronged with
wayfarers. The last yest;se of the trail
In the vicinity was wiped ont of existence,
and where ii led is now a mountain OF
snow and ice, under which are many dead
bodies that cannot be recovered for many
days to come
At Stonehouse the valley narrows to a
width Of about $50 yards, walled in by
sheer and slight wooded cliffs reaching
from the east Of the trail to almost q
vertical glacier which is -variously esti
mated from $4,000 to 10000 feet from
base to crown. Within the shadow oi
this majestic cliff stood a little colony OF
toDts, many of whose occupants were
.kened only by the grip of death tt
fight for life against rain of ice anC
rock that in Il few minutes had buried the
little white village under thirty feet o1
avalanche debris. Not few were merci
fully spared a waking death, being crush
ed as they Sept, with no forewarning OF
the disaster that was to oyerwhelm them
Witnesses say that it seemed as though
the entire face of the great white wall hat
been suddenly by some unseen hand hurl
ed down with frightful velocity on its
mission of destruction, the roar of tht
slide being plainly heard several mile:
away. Men and women who were over
whelmed may have realized what hap
pened, but they had no possible opportu
nifty to escape. The high waves of snow
had buffeted and tossed, cofiined anC
graved them in an instant, before the!
cOuiu CRY lHeiE agony. Anu oHlS SiSa
silence and a vast mound of snow marked
where humanity and hope reigned but {
moment before.
Rescue parties were Immediately organ
ICED and at least 1000 men We're soon al
work. The bodies were found in all sorts
of attitudes, and almost every face bore
the expression of intense terror photo
graphed upon it by slow death. Those
whose lives had been crushed out al
once were easily distinguished by theii
facial plac;dity and the undisturbed con
dition of the snow entombng them.
The slides were caused by rise in the
atmospheric temperature, occasioned by
the warm wind that had been blowing
from the south for several days. AL
though snow-.aden. this breeze is balmy
enough to thaw the icy waters of the
mountains