Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-03-06
THE oLooMiEsT SABBATH IN
THE HISTORY OF TELLURIDE
Telluride Journal.)

dozen widowed and orphaned homes
spread its depressing influence
throughout hnd over the whole cum.
munity Neighbors saluted one an
other in subdued tones, discussed
briefly the awful situation and passed
sadly on with downcast countenance.
The sorrowfnl trend of every mind
was painfully apparent
The morning broke cloudy and raw
and AS thes day advanced the wind
arose coming in vigorous. spiteful
gusts. that hurled the snow before IL
in binding sheets for few moments.
then dying down, all was quiet for an
interval. The squalls. as the day
wore on, became more feuuent and
more violent until o'clock a steady
gale prevailed and at times the sheets
of snow were binding. About 3
O'Clock snow began falling again. the
wind died down and storm set in
that promised a good strong foot of
fresh snow by morning.
At frequent intervals during the
forenoon the roar of snowslides was
heard up Bear Creek canon. About
IL o'clock a part of the Bobtail slide
came down into Marshall creek, Just
above Pandora. Az 1915 a small
avalanche dropped over the cliffs
from off Ajax mountain. back of the
Smuggler mill, followed ten minutes
later by tremendous slide which
swept down, taking out tramway
tower and uttely wiping out of exis-
tence the residence of Superintendent
VanLaw. of the, Smuggler mill. stand
ing perhaps a hundred feet south of
the mill The slide seems not to
have reached the house and the the
ory is that the concussion and pecu-
liar air currents caused by the slide
demolished the house. Nearly all
the windows In A. b. Blaineys house
fifteen feet distant, We're smashed. and
several houses down in the fiat sus-
tanned broken windows.
Mr.. VanLaw was in Silverton, but
late Saturday afternoon Manager Col
Inns, seemingly inspired by a Fremont
tion, went over and had Mrs. VanLaw
and the baby taken over to his resi-
dence, saying he was afraid the house
would be taken. Mrs. Blainey, in the
meantime, came down to the Liberty
Bell mill, where she is the guest of
Mrs. Chase. Had they been at home
Sunday they could not have escaped,
as their home is as completely wreck
ed as if Ajax mountain had toppled
over on it.
This slide was plainly heard in Tel
luride and watched by many who were
on the street at the time. Instantly
crowds were on their way to Pandora,
on foot, on horseback, and in sleighs.
AS they stood in the fiat below the
mills gazing at the mountain, some
one shouted: Here comes another,"
1t was the remainder of the Bobtail
and was a tremendous affair Those
in sleighs whipped their horses into
run, some never stopping until they
reached town, and the far end of town
at that. The slide ran down Mar
shall gulch nearly to the mill, spread
out and stopped before reaching the
park. People living in that vicinity
then began to vacate and in half an
hour all having families had moved
them to Telluride, and the locality
was deserted. except Manager Collins
and few of his office force. who
came to town later in the afternoon.
The last slide caught five men who
were at the hanging rock shoveling
the trail through the first slide that
came down, but all were rescued alive,
though Tom Dempsey, foreman of
Lavendar's mule train was badly cut
and bruised. The breath was com
pletely knocked out OF him. and it was
thought for some time after he was
taken out that he would not be re
suscitated, but he came around all
right and after being fixed up. with
several stitches in his head, insisted
on being taken back to camp.
Early Sunday morning large force
OF shoyeIers went to the curve station
slide. on the Liberty Bell trail, to re
sume the search for the bodies of Gus
vonFintel, John r. Powell and Paul
Dalprez The bodies of vonFintel
and Dalprez were found and brought
to town about 3 o'clock The larger
pan vi tht ioi'' 'chs'huihS th' otii vi
for Powell, but We're not successful
when the increasing storm forced
them to desist at about O'Clock.
Arrangements had all been made
to put large force on the slides at
the Liberty Bell mine, where at least
fifteen bodies are buried. this morn.
Ing, but the severe storm prevailing
at s o'clock last evening caused this
plan to be abandoned, as the newly
falling snow would render the danger
exterme and make 1t suicidal for men
to venture into that locality. The
victims are beyond the reach of hu-
man ills or aids and 1t Is unwise to
to risk lives in the attempt to recover
the dead II IL can be avoided.
These were the conditions at night
fall yesterday; the record Of Sunday.
March 2, 1902, In Telluride.
A. F. Hood made hurried start for
Denver this morning on business.
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