The Lamar register., 1899-02-15
TEN BODIES FOUND.
VICTIMS OF TWO AvALANcHEs.
Silver Plume Miners Cabins Swept Away
without wsrninE-A Woman and Two
Children Ameng the Victim.

simultaneously two snowsiides oc-
Cured In Cherokee l.nlch, at this place,
at $40 this morning. Ten lives We're
lost Ia the laundering rush of snow,
rock and timber. The ore houses of the
Pelican and Cory City We're carried
away aud fully $4,000 worth OF ore
was carried into the basin between the
mountain sides and lost.
Inhabitants are terrurized, as snow
slides have never been known In this
section of the country. The vast
amount OF snow ON the mountain sides
fruwns down upon the people below,
and the miners are in mortal terror lest
"A repetition OF the frightful avaianches
viii occur and carry away their cabins
All the Killed are miners or mem
bcrs OF their families.
The terrible snowslldcs came without
a warning. The morning was clear
and cold. with the sun shining bright
ly. So far rs known. nobody received
"A warning OF the disastrous slide. Su-
IS.rintendent lsobesOn OF the Pelican
mine was standing outside the SHAFT
huusc of the mine when he noticed
peculiar movement OF the great mass
Of snow high on the mountain side. Be
fore he cumprehended the danger. the
terrible roar OF the swiftly moving
liaNN VI NutN anu warm NAAHAAAAN -
druye him to n 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 sld.
are sleep. In its descent. the iirst slide
moved with terrible rapidity. Several
OF the miners were standing outside
their cabins enjoying Il rest after
breakfast. They were cut on with but
a moments warming As the trst 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 Il tons and
tons Of snow were upon the cabins and
had reduced them to sp!inters,
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 un-
fortunately located dirrcily in the path
OF the slide.
The second slide took different
course down wiIlehan gulch. east OF
sherman mountain. between the Pcli-
cnn and Seyeu-Thlrty mines. That slide
carried away cabins in which there
were seven miners, all OF whom found
death Ip the frigid and uncontrollabie
mass that bore destruction with II.
Superintendent Roheson. who no
tIccd the movements OF both slides. de-
ciarrs that the scene was horrible.
Timbers OF huge proportions were
ground into spliuters by the ponderous
mass OF swiftly moving snow and Ice,
and before a bird could have winged
away Il was upon the humble habitn-
tious OF the poor miner.
The slides travelled for at least two
miles and worked furrow in the
mountain sides ut least ten feet deep.
As soon as the report of the catastro-
phe spread. both gulches Were visited
by hundreds of people who were i'll
ing to lend a hand TO the work of res
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 10 de-
grees below zero. but the work was
promptly begun and prosecuted. Scat
tered along the mountain side here and
there were few timbers which
served to guide the work OF the res
cuing parties. The brave miners who
were attracted 10 the scene worked
heroically.
Inside Of FIVE minutes the rapidly
moving shovels OF the rescuers en-
countered the body of Antonio Migret-
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 n sled
and he was brought into the depot
where every medical attention
was given him. Soon after Antonio
Mnleano and Giuseppe COrcunio We're
found. They We're almost dead and
were brought here Mt once and given
medical attention.
The first bodies found We're those of
Mrs. Destefano and her children. The
mother had her arms clasped about
the inanImate form of her younger
child. The other child was found a
short distance away. The mother had
evidently seen the avalanche approach
ing and had made an attempt to save
her child in escaping from the house.
The bodies were brought here on a
sled. The work of rescue continued.
and in the remains of the Destefano
cabin n cook stove with the fire still
burning was uuearthed. The chicken
coop of the modest home was next