The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-02
OVER A SCORE ENTOMBED
No More Bodies Can be Recovered
Just Now.
THEY MUST AWAH MEL TING OF The SNOW
|. NJ. Umstead Tells Of the First Slide Of Snow
When its Mad Rush Brought Sadder
Night Over The Mountain
(By the Associated Prcss)


Telluride, Colo, March 1.-The number
of lives lost in the avalanche that swept
down the sides Of Smuggler Mountain
is now estimated from twenty to twen-
ty-five. Fourteen men are known to
have been killed. an unknown number
are buried under the snow and twelve
badly injured persons are in the hospital,
while several other men who were hurt
are at their homes. 1t is believed that
few if any more bodies can be recovered
until the snow melts.
The most lucid account Of the first
snow slide was given by l.. NJ Umstead,
who is employed in packing ore from a
crusher to the tram station. He was
in the stable saddling his animals when
he heard terrific crashing and rafting.
The stable grew suddenly dark and op-
ening the door, he found the outside to-
tally dark and the air filed with flying
snow Thinking it was a terrific gust
Of wind, he slammed the stable door shut
and waited a few seconds. He pcered
through a crack, and as it 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 and could
sec no signs of the boarding house and
bunk house. Then looking down the hill
he saw boards and timbers sticking out
of the snow and scattered about.
The exact number of men who were
caught in the slide is not known, but
there were probably not less than twen-
ty in the bunk house and boarding house
when they were swept away. Fortu-
nately large majority of the $50 miners
employed in the Liberty Bell Mine were
either in the mine or absent in town at
the time Of the accident.
The accident broke the telephone cir
cult and several hours elapsed before a
messenger reached town with tidings OF
the disaster. All the doctors available
and many citizens hurried up the noun
tain to lend assistance in digging out
the dead ana injured. Seven bodies had
been recovered and five injured men
brought to town when second slide
came down in the path of the first, kill
ing two more men and injUring num-
Der of others
This was followed by more snow slides
in which five lives were sacrificed. AS
the storm still continued and the work
of rescue could only be carried on under
the most extreme danger 10 the living.
and as it was believed that no more of
those buried Under the snow could be,
alive, it was decided to abandon the
search for bodies until it can be prose-
cuted with greater safety
Doctors Allen and Delaney, who went
up to attend the victims of the first snow
slid were caught in the second. The
former sustained severe injuries about
his lower limbs and the latter escaped
uninjured. Both were carried down a dis
tance of more than so feet, but managed
to extricate themselves.
George Rhorer, who was killed in the
fourth slide, had been county clerk and
was one of the most prominent mining
operators in the district
The damage to the mine property is
estimated at $4,000.
The tramway terminals are gone, with
crushers, etc, and the entire tram and
most of the towers arc down. 1t will be
at least four months before WORK can be
resumed.
Today broke bright and clear in the
city, but clouds still hang over the noun
tains. larg searching party left this
morning TO resume the search for the
dead buried under the snow. Telephone
lines from this city to the mines and to
Denver are down.
slide occurred today in Marshall
Basin at the Sheridan Mine. John II.
Johns. a miner. was killed.
slide is also reported at the Gold
King Mine, south of this city. The tram
way was wrecked, but it is not known
whether any lives were lost.