Gilpin observer., 1902-03-06

Denver Colo, March IA special
dispatch from Telluride to the Republic
can says:
At the Liberty Bell mine and the Cor
net Creek basin, below 1t, yesterday,
three separate snowslides descended
and as a result fourteen men are
known to be dead, an unknown num-
Der are buried in the snow, and twelve
badly injured ones are in the hospital,
while several other men who were hurt
are at their homes.
The first slide occurred at 1870
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
a large force of rescuers started out,
anw while they were at work digging
out the dead and injured a second slide
decended which buried an unknown
number Of men. Three bodies were 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 third slide and
four were killed.
1t 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 at least score.
The most lucid and connected &C
count of the first disaster is that given
by L. NJ. Umsted. Mr.. Umsted is en-
ployed in packing ore from a crusher
to the tram station. He had just come
from breakfast and was in the stable
saddling his animals, when he heard
a terrific crashing and rafting. The
stable grew suddenly as dark as night,
and, stepping to the door, he opened it
and found the outside totally dark and
the air filled with flying snow.
Thinking it was a terrific gust of
wind, he slammed the stable door shut
and waited a few seconds. He peered
through a 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 it had stood, and saw
what he thought was piece Of over
alls. Grasping It and attempting to
pull it out, he found he had hold of
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.
He then started toward the boarding
house 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 n bucket Of wa
ter But for this Charlie must certain
ly 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 1880 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 this
section since 1895 has been raging for
the past three days and 1t is said that
the snow and fog We're so dense this
morning when the slide came down
that 1t was utterly impossible for one
to see ten feet ahead.
BY some fortunate circumstance a
large number of the miners employed
On this property. and there are between
900 and $50 ON the pay roll. came to
the last night and as it happened did
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 it was an hour be-
| fore word of the disaster reached
town, being brought down by one of
| the workmen who escaped.
| All the doctors available and many
citizens at once started up the trail to
lend such assistance as was In their
power in digging out the buried and in
jured men and it was well toward
noon before any authentic information