Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1902-02-20
A SERIES OF FATALITIES
SnoWSlideS and CaVe-In Create an Un-
usually Large Death List.
NUMBER OF VICTIMS SAID TO Be SIX
SnOWSlldeS in the Mountains
Cave-In on Salmon River.

Never befor in all the years since
the publication of the FEEE Press
has it fallen to our lot to chrosicle
such heavy list of fatal accidents
as have occurred in this county in
the past week. The first of the
series was the news brought out
from Buffalo Hump by Frank
Brown and James Eldridge Of the
death of Ben Hamilton by snow
slide at the Crackerjack mine on
Monday, Feb. 10. The particulars
as narrated by these gentlemen are
to the effect that Hamilton was
a miner working in'the Crackerjack
mine. and that on Monday of last
week he went some distance up the
mountain above the mouth of the
Crackerjack tunnel to locate a pros
pect hole, when without warning
an avalanche of snow commenced
to slide down the mountain side
and overwhelmed the unfortunate
man, carrying him over the tunnel
mouth and burying him to an un-
known depth. The slide was said
to be fully half mile wide, and in
it's course took away the blacksmith
shop at the mouth of the tunnel
and went careering over the dump,
carrying Mr.. Hamilton with it.
The body has not been recovered
at the time we go to press, al
though great efforts were making
to that end. Deceased was about
80 years of age, and arrived here
from Kansas only last year. His
relatives in the Sunflower state are
being communicated with. So far
as is known he was unmarried.
On Friday evening last Tom
Johnson arrived out from Warren
bringing the news of the greatest
fatality which has ever occurred in
the mountains of this county.
From Mr.. JohnsOn's account it ap-
pears that five men, all from the
Weiser country, were bound into
Thunder Mountain and were over
whelmed by a snowslide at the
head of Smith creek while they
were attempting to cross the snow
slide country instead of following
the well-beaten winter trail into
the new Eldorado. The names of
the party are James X. Campell,
Bert Tulles, B. NJ. Schuyler, Fred
Williams and Ed Myers, the latter
being from Boise. AS they were
proceeding over the snow on the
northern slope of the mountain the
avalanche started and was OBJ
served by Myers, who shouted to
his companions to face it and jump
on top of it as it approached them.
Either they paid no attention to the
command, or his voice was drowned
in the roar of the slide, but Messrs.
Myers and Williams both faced it
and jumped, and were carried some
distance down the steep mountain
slope by the slide which entombed
their unfortunate companions. The
site of the catastrophe is about &c
miles from Warren, and the two
men made the best of their way
back to the camp and announced
the news, and Immediately Is big
hearted men were en- route to the
scene intent upon the rescue Of the
bodies, dead or alive. At the time
of Mr.. Johnson's departure the
body of Bert Tulles had been re-
covered, and the features showed
plainly enough that death had beer
caused by suffocation. The rescu
ing crew were still hard at work
but the area of the slide was 81
great that it was impossible to 10
cate the position Of Campbell ant
Schuyler, and it is possible tina
their bodies may never be recov
cred.
Mr.. Campbell was a brakeman
on the P. & I. N. railroad, and wa
a brothcr-in-law Of Schuyler. The.
had only lately arrived from Coun
Gil EN- route to Thunder Mountain
The accident occurred on Monday
Feb. 10, about 10 o'clock in tn
forenoon.
Word was sent to the FREE Pres
Office over the telephone Tuesda
that a man named Benson, togethe
with his son, had been crushed t
death by cavern while they wer
working in an open cut on Sherwi
bar Monday afternoon. There wer
no further particulars. Benson an
his son arrived on the river fror
Dallas, Oregon, about six week
ago.