The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-02-13
CARRIED DOWN TO DEATH.
An AVALANCHE SWEEPS AWAY
4 MINING HAMLET.
Twenty-Six Italians Barred Vader
the snow. and Eleven Are Taken
Out Dead. the Bodies of the 9th

DENVER Col. Feb. IA special to
the News from Georgetown, Col. says:
The most terrible and disastrous snow
slide ever known Isl, Clear Greek county
occurred At Silver Plume. four miles
from here az s o'clock his morning. The
skae started two miles away and came
with terrific force carrying along huge
boulSers and immense trees. A short dis
lance from the starting point the ava
lanche parted. one section coming dowa
Cherokee guich. taking with IL two cab
ins occupied by Italians and the shaft
house OF The Cary City nine. The other
section came down WIlehan gtaleh. BE-
tween the Pelican and the Seyen-Thirty
mines The latter did most OF the dam
age.
Settlements OF miners. mostly Italians.
were situated IN both gulches For a week
or more the Italians have moved from
place 10 place to escape threatened dis
ast.r. should the mountains OF snow START
down the mountain side. Some fingered
in their homes and were carried away In
the slide today: II Is estimated that thir-
teen bodies are stu buried beneath the
piles OF snow in the two gulches.
How many dead bodies lie in the great
mass OF snow and debris viii not be known
before spring Eight dead bodies are now
a the Enorgue. TWO more persons are
known 10 he lost. and three have been
taken out alive. The rescuing party has
oDly penetrated about fifteen feet into the
mass OF Snow and wreckage piled up at
the foot Of the guieh 10 the depth Of sew
enty-fve feet The dead are as follows;
Doninick Des;afno, his wife and two
children. boy aged and a girl aged >.
Joseph Toden.a, Peter Tondenia, John Ton
denia; Jerome Gaananzi. John Bietto, En-
RICO Navaria.
Injured Tony Negretto, arm broken and
Otherwise injured, Joseph Cococno, head
and body bruised. Tony Malino. leg bro
ken.
The worst has aot Yet occurred. Only
about third OF the enormous drift piled
up on the mountain broke away. drift
aboo, ioo feet in height stiii ciings 10 the
mountain side. and should II become loos-
ened the upper end OF the town is III dan
ger OF destruction.
The slide today started in what is known
as Garry City guich. IL swept over the
Pelican mines tunnel house. carrying away
the mine dumps and buildings and filling
the entire valley.
As this slide reached the main gulch the
snow In Swallow Hen gulch. on the OPP
poSite mountain. broke away, and rushed
down 10 Cherokee guich- Here the two
avalanehes met and continued their course
toward the town. Just back OF Silver
Plume. in the main gulch. was a settle
n.enf of Italian miners. Their cabins were
directly in the path OF destruction and were
crushed like egg shells. Trees were torn
up by the roots and gigantic bouiders car
ried away like pebbles. turn In the
gulch just as IL opens on the town check
ed the side, and II now stands threaten
ing destruction TO at least portion Of this
camp. should the remainder Of the snow
on the mountain sides start 10 fall. Every
available man from Silver Plume and
GEORGETOWN is now digging for the bodies
of the missing.