The state herald., 1899-02-17
TEN BODIES FOUND.
VICTIMS OF TWO AvALANcHEs.
Silver Plume Miners Cabins Swept Away
Without warnIng-A Woman aud Two
Children Amcng the Victims.


Denver, Feb. 13.-A special from Sill.
YER Plume to the Rocky Mountain
News last night said:
simultaneously two snowsiides oc-
Cured in Cherokee gulcl, at this place.
at S:45 this morning. Ten lives were
lost in the laundering rush Of snow,
rock and timber. The ore houses Of the
Pelican and Cory City were carried
away and fully $4,000 worth of ore
was carried into the basin between the
mountain sides and lost
Inhabitants are terrorized, as snow
slides have never been known In this
section of the country The vast
amount of snow on the mountain sides
frowns down upon the people below,
and the miners are In mortal terror lest
a repetition OF the frightful avalanches
will occur and carry away their cabins.
All the killed are miners or mem
bers of their families.
The terrible snowslides came without
a warning. The morning was clear
and cold, with the sim shining bright
ly. So far ns known, nobody received
n warning of the disastrous slide. Su-
perintendent Robeson of the Pelican
mine was standing outside the shaft
house of the mine vixen he noticed II
peculiar movement OF the great mass
of snow high on the mountain side. Be-
fore he comprehended the danger. the
terrible roar OF the swiftly moving
mass of snow and earth instinctively
drove him to place of safety. He
saw the start of the slide and reached
cover before the snow reached the
shaft house where he was standing.
The slide Is the most disastrous ever
recorded in the northern part of the
state. 1t occurred directly north of
this place, where the mountain sid"
are steep. In its descent, the first slide
moved with terrible rapidity! Several
Of the miners were standing outside
their cabins enjoying rest after
breakfast They were cut off with hut
moments warning. As tie first slide
began to move. several miners of the
Pelican appreciated The danger of the
situation. Their natural impulse was
TO hasten to warn their companions In
the cabins on the mountain side, but
the force of the elements was too great.
and before they realized II tons and
tons of snow were upon the cabins and
had reduced them 10 splinters.
In coming down the mountain, the
mass of snow struck two cabins west
of Republican mountain and the shaft
house and boiler rooms of the Cory
City mine. These buildings Were I'M
fortunately located directly in the path
of the slide.
The second slide took different
course down Willchan gulch, east of
sherman mountain. between the Peli-
can and Seych-Thirty mines. That slide
carried away cabins in which there
We're seven miners. all of whom found
death in the fricid and uncomfortable
mass that bore destruction with it,
Superintendent Robeson, who no
ticed the movements of both slides. de-
clares that the scene was horrible.
Timbers Of huge proportions were
ground into splin:ers by the ponderons
mass of swiftly moving snow and ice,
and before a bird could have winged
away 1t was upon the humble hnhita-
tions of the poor miner.
The slides Travelled for mt least two
miles and worked furrow In the
mountain sides at least ten feet deep.
As soon as the report Of the catastro-
phe spread. both g,ilcles We're visited
by hundreds of people who We're will
~
cue. Word of the disaster soon
reached Georgetown and people came
from there to assist In the noble work
of searching for the dead and injured.
The thermometer registered II de-
grecs below zero, but the work was
promptly begun and prosecuted. Seat
tered along the mountain side here and
there Were few ,mhcrs which
a a. lao. Of Ian.
cuIng parties. The brave miners who
were attracted TO the scene worked
hcrolcally.
Inside OF FIVE minutes the rapidly
moving shovels of the rescuers en-
countcrcd the body Of Antonio Mlgret-
to. He was more dead than alive. but
the spark Of life was apparent and i'm
mediate attention was given him.
Willing hands carried him To sled
ana he was brought into the depot
where every medical attention
was given him. Soon after Antonio
Malcano and Giuseppe Corcunlo Were
found. They Were almost dead and
Were brought here nj once and given
medical attention.
The first bodies found were those Of
Mrs. Desicfano ana her children. The
mother had her arms clnsped about
the innnlmntc form Of her younger
child. The other child was found
short distance away. The mother had
evidently seen the avalanche approach
ing and had maze mn attempt 10 save
her child In escaping from the house
The bodies We're brought here on n
sled. The work Of rescue continued.
and In the remains OF The Dcstcfano
cabin cook stove with the fire still
burning was uncarihcd. The chicken
coop OF the modest home was next
found. nnd the thirteen chicks were
uninjurcd
As the work went on the bodies Of
Peter and John Tondlni. GcrUndo
Gucnzl. q. Blctio ana Enrico Novarln
were uncovered. They were not badly
mutilnted, Int the severe pressure OF
the snow told on their blackcncd
fnccS, The bodies of Joe TopdIni and
Dominic Dcstcfano have not yet been
found. II II known definitely that
they pcrlshed. Dostefnno loft his
cabin shortly before the slide came
down aud was walking In the dircc.
tion or this city when the avalanche
caught him nnd hurried him To do
strnciiun. II n probable TINT his body
viii be- one Of the last recovered.
The list SO fnr NJ known II:
Dominic DcHirfnn!g, wife aud two
children
Joseph Tondlnl.
Peter 1uudini.
John Tundlni
Gor0udl GurulL
T., i,icii1.
Enrlcn Nnynrln
Scattered over the mountain side