The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-06
THE DEADLY SNOW SLIDE.
Destructive Effects of the AvaIan-
ches Down Colorado Mountains,

WV tHS passes OF the Great DIVIDE Is
the cause of the bare streaks on the
mountains sides, where spaces of vary-
ing width have been cleared of timber.
powders, everything which protruded
ABOVE the surrounding surface making
path as distinct and clean cut on the
sloes as II some Titan of the hills had
~ia"h a mammoth rake from peak to
Dase. The explanation that it was caused
by snowslide answers the question and
seems no doubt, commonplace enough
TO the tourists
FROM FEBRUARY to May Is the snow
sllde season, and snowslides occur on
almost every steep mountain side where
the conditions are favorable The pros
pector miner, mail carrier, any one who
mas to follow the icy trails at this season.
carries MS life In his hands, and each
winter claims its quota of victims
The town Of Silver Plume is known RI
almost every tourist who has visited the
state of Colorado. It is hemmed in by
steep mountains at the upper end of the
famous Georgetown loop on the Colorado
Southern Railway.
The Winter of 1S9S-99 was severe. and
a large amount of snow had fallen and
was piled in vast drifts on the steep
mountain sides above Silver Plume. The
unusual amount of snow and consequent
danger of slides had alarmed the inhabi
tants to such an extent that the au-
| thorities had ordered the frame school
| mouse located at the upper end of the
| town at the mouth of Cherokee Gulch
! abandoned until the danger was past.
On Feb. y, 1899, a strong windstorm
started and continued all night Sunday
morning it somewhat abated, but the
wind was still whirling the light snow
| about the mountain tops in fantastic
forms oh 70 he
! overburdened combs of snow and ice
that hung threateningly over the gulch.
| The sky was clear, however, and the
| sun. playing on the drifting ice crystals,
crowned the valley with silver Plumes
innumerable, making the name of the
| little camp below seem most happily
| chosen.
Terror of the People.
At half-past 8 O'Clock the sun was sud
denly blotted out and the town envelop-
ed in cloud of light snow as impervious
to vision as frosted glass. Then came
| the rumbling. grinding roar which told
the people a slide had started Panic
| stricken they waited until the noise had
| ceased and the flying snow subsidized,
when every inhabltant of the town able
to WELD pick or shovel started for the
scene of the disaster with the parapher-
MALTA Of rescue. They found that the
slide had providentially stopped just above
the abandoned schoolhouse 1t had plow-
ed furrow two miles long and 800 feet
wide. and piled the snow, rock, and tim
Der in miniature mountain at the bot
| tom of the gulch.
Supt. Robinson of the Pelican Mine was
| standing near the shafthouse when the
| slide occurred. Breakfast was Just over,
and several of the miners were stading
| about their cabins below. Mr.. Robinson
was idly watching them when he noticed
| a peculiar movement of the great mass
of snow high on the mountain side. Be
| fore he could give an alarm the avalanche
had reached the cabins sweeping them
with their occupants to the bottom of
| the valley below.
At almost the same instant another
| slide started further up the gulch, be-
| tween the Pelican and Seven-Thirty
mines. 1t wrecked most of the mine
buildings and cabins, grinding the huge
| logs of which they were constructed in
to slvers. In these two slides ten persons
| lost their lives and $4,000 worth of ore
ready for shipment was lost.
Eight days later another slide occurred
couple of miles further up the canyon,
at Browns Gulch, killing three miners
and injuring five others.
Several Lives Lost.
On the Eagle River extension of the
| Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, six
| teen miles above Leadville, Homestake
Peak thrusts itself, like an obelisk,
several thousand feet into the air. On
| its side, just below timber line, is the
| Homestake mine, one of the first heavy
| producers of the district. Just above the
mine is a small lake. formed by a bench
of eroded rock. In the shadow of a gi-
| gantic bowlder at the bottom of this
bench, three cabins were located, used
as storehouse and living quarters by the
| eleven men who. provisoned for the
Winter, were working the mine.
| On April A1ss5, two friends of the men
| working at the mine left Leadvie on
snowshoes to visit them and carry in
some mail. On reaching their destination
they found the whole mountain side had
been swept clean into the valley below
leaving not sign of cabin. shaft, house
or mine.
| Seeing the frightful condition of af-
fairs. they returned to the camp and gave
the alarm. A rescue party, headed by
| Col George w Cook, Mayor of Lead
VILE. reached the scene OF the catastrophe
| the following day. They found the site
| Of the cabins covered with snow, rock
and timbers to a depth OF forty to fifty
feet, and before the ruins of the cabins
were found three tunnels had. with
tremendous labor, to be run through the
compact mass.
The first structure found was the store
house. In which provisions and general
stores were kept. TIE. side Of the bunk
house was next reached. andsfter clear
ing a space large enough, log was
chopped from the wall and entrance
gained.
In the bunk. near where they entered
the body OF one man was found crushed
by the logs. Leaning against the front
OF IL another was stading with arm up
raised, as II TO ward off the danger
Three were clasped in each others arms
On the bunk OPPOSITE. Another was
found beside his sleeping place In an at
titude OF prayer, and on the bed beside
which he knelt two men were tying with
no sign Of having been disturbed from
their slumber The three others had been
crushed by the timbers.
The date OF the disaster was fixed by
the amount OF provisions consumed. Feb.
20 or 25.
All hut Three Killed.
one OF the worst snowsIides that ever
occurred in Colorado so far as loss OF
life is concerned was at little station
chilled woodstock. on the South Park
Railway. Woodstock was nine miles east
Of Pitkin and near the famous Alpine
tunnel. which was completed that year,
1894.
~ the Pltkin dlstrict ana on the same