The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-08
WHEN A SNoWsLIDE LETS GO.
Hairbreadth Escapes OF Mining Men
I'm the Mountains OF Colorado.

Hairbreadth Escapes of Mining Men
in the Mountains OF Colorado.
Denver Post
That's where my hair went--in a San
Juan snowsIide." And Thomas Tulley. one
time miner. editor, Governors private sec
rotary, and now deputy state treasurer.
rubbed his bald pate refiectively. A refiec-
tive rub looks just like any other kind. but
the novels always call them reflective when
they are followed by good story.
Don't tell me about cyclones or earth
quakes. or any such make-believe dangers
can stand anything but the ripping, split
ting. cracking sound OF a snow avalanche
breaking loose from It's mornings. and the
swish and roar and boom when it gets UNI
der way, and the swapping or trees and
the crashing OF powders and trembling of
the whole earth as 1t nears the bottom OF
the mountain and the sickness that comes
over a fellow when IL hirts past within
few feet OF him, kicking snow in his face
and making a plaything Of rocks as big as
a house and telling whole forests at time.
II was wrecked twice in one night by
snowslides IN the San Juan and II was just
for joke, I guess. that one or the other
didn't mash me into dust or preserve me In
ice Worst night I ever put in on this
earth, can tell you. 1t was somewhere Ia
February, 1891 along about the time the big
Saguache slide buried the railroad under
rocks and snow half mile long ana
hundred feet deep. We were without any
mail for fifty-twO days, and it was seventy
three days before we got train after that
same winter, too, that the big Idaho
slice came down from Kende't mountain
and brought so many trees Win IL that
the whole town of Silverton was kept in
frewoOd for two years. Piled II right up
in the town limits and smashed II into
stove size. too. was up on hendan
Vile We had a couple OF fellows up there
10 look after the big stamp mill through
the winter and every few weeks Charley
Price and l would go UP 10 see now 'ney
III was too far to tramp back and forth
20 the clubhouse, so Dave Purdy and WIN
Kane the two fellows who were guarding
the mill. had fixed I'D the assay ONCE Tor
g bedroom. That day when we got 10 the
mill IL began TO snow, and we stayed all
night So we built UP roaring fire In the
ASSAY furnace and piled back on our blank
ets in the other end OF the room.
The snow fell almost in blankets. II
seemed. and the wind howled awtuiiy. sew
eral times we heard the roar and smash
and felt the building shake as snowsEde
went down some other part OF the noun
tain. but we thought we Were sAle- NO
slide had ever touched that spot.
Il have looked over the ground since,
and / know just how IL happened, but IL
Was more than a surprise ludt ulBHt Nhch
part OF the avalanche stopped over from
the gulch our right We We're Just get
ting TO sleep and we heard the internaI
crack and boom and roar right above US
and smash bang! and away down the
gUlch it went with half the assay office.
Took the furnace and our fire and all the
roof. and just left us lying there In the
snow with our bedding. And scared:
That's when my hair got up and stood
on end, and has never laid down peacea-
bly, since. TWO or three trees away IN the
mountain had just cut Off slice or the
slice that nlled the gulch. and had turned
II over into the Httle gulch where our
assay Office stood That's what caused
our wreck.
Well we held council right quick, dug
UP lot OF matches and some candles. and
after We saw what had been done 10 our
house we declared We. couldn't stay there
any more. We took our blankets and can
dies and matches. an old sheet iron stove
and an old canvas tent and moved up 10
the big mill nifty feet up the side OF the
mountain. we climbed to the crushing
room, near the top OF the mill. There we
put up our tent 20 keep out the draft all we
could. Then we nailed comforter over
head. got the stove going and liked up pref
y comfortable We were still scared nalI
70 death. for we could hear every little
while slides going down the mountain. some
near b.. some 50 far we could only hear
the roar.
Then we got TO telling stories. Purdy
was old mule skinner, and ne used 10
tell the most blood-curdling stories l ever
heard He wouldn't hurt a flea, but ac--
skinned at least forty Indians. He was