The Lamar register., 1902-03-05

dispatch from Telluride to the Republi-
can says:
At the Liberty Bell mine and the Cor
net Creek basin, below it. yesterday,
three separate snowslides descended
and as result fourteen men are
known to be dead. an unknown num-
her are buried in the snow, and twelve
badly injured ones are in the hospital,
while several other men who We're hurt
are ut their homes.
The first slide occurred at 7:3O
o'clock yesterday morning, coming
from above the Liberty Bell mine, and
wrecking the boarding and bunk
houses. Seven men Were killed here.
As soon as the news reached the city
large force of rescuers started our.
anw while they were at work digging
out the dead and injured second slide
decended which buried an unknown
number of men. Three bodies We're re
covered.
This alarmed the rescue party, and
as a fierce storm was raging, and there
WAS danger of other slides. word was
sent to the city to send no more men
out. The rescuers started for home TO
await the cessation of the storm and
were overtaken by a third slide and
LHSr were killed.
is believed that few If any more
bodies can be recovered until the snow
melts, when it is thought the list of
dead may be swelled to mt least score.
The most lucid and connected ac-
count of the first disaster is that given
by l.. NJ. Umsted. Mr.. Umsted is EN-
ployed in packing ore from crusher
to the tram station. He had Just come
hraa III fp ct
saddling his animals. when he heard
Il terrific crashing aud rattlinE. The
stable grew suddenly as dark as night.
. and, stepping to the door he opened II
kand found the outside totally dark and
the air filled with flying SNOW.
Thinking 1t was a terrific gust of
Wind, he slammed the stable door shut
/and waited Il few Seconds. He peered
through n crack and as 1t grew light
again he opened the door and saw the
tram cable swinging about and buckets
rolling down the hill. As the snow
in the air settled he stepped out few
feet and looking up toward the board
ing and bunk house, could see no signs
of these buildings. Then looking down
the hill. he saw boards and timbers
sticking out of the snow and scattered
about
He then went up to the ore and tram
house, or where 1t had stood. and saw
what he thought was n piece of over
alls. Grasping it and attempting to
pull 1t out, he found he had hold of Il
mans body.
Tearing away the snow and boards.
he pulled out the body Of Gus kraul.
The body was terribly mangled and
the head crushed till it was no THICKER
than the two hands laid fatty to-
gether.
lie then started toward the boarding
nd le and met his brother, Charlie
Umsted. who told him what had hap
pened. Charlie was employed in the
boarding house and escaped by being
out at the time after a bucket of wa
Ter. But for this Charlie must certain
Iy have been among the victims. as
none of the boarding house occupants
escaped.
The first slide occurred at the Liber-
ty Bell group of mines. located In Cor.
net Creek basin, three and half
miles north of the city. at $50 O'Clock
this morning. 1t was one OF the larg-
est snow slides known in the country.
and sacrificed the lives of seven men.
1t started one-half mile above the
Liberty Bell boarding and bunk
houses and came down the mountain
side so rapidly that scarcely any one
had time to evade 1t.
The worst snow storm known IN tnis
section since 1895 has been raging Tor
the past three days and it is said that
the snow and fog We're SO dense thi!
morning when the slide came down
that it was utterly impossible for one
to see ten feet ahead.
BY some fortunate circumstance Il
large number of the miners employed
IN this property, and there are between
200 and 80 on the pay roll. came 10
the last night and as it happened ana
not reach the mines until after the
first avalanche of snow came down.
Had they been in their bunk house the
loss of life would have been appalling.
The accident. of course. broke the TEL
ephone circuit. and 1t was an hour pe
fore word of the disaster reached
town. being brought down by Que OF
the eznorkmen who escaped
AN the doctors available and man!
citizens at once started up the tran To
lend such assistance as was III their
power in digging out the buried ana III, ,
jured men and it was well towaru
noon before any authentic Information