Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-03-03
sNoWsLiDE DISASTER.
Sixty to Seventy Miners Caught
Dead Will Exceed Twenty

will not be known how many until
j. later. James johnson, who was stand.
ing outside the path of the slide, was
caught by falling rock and had his
skull fracture.
snowslide this morning swept away
the bunk house at the Liberty Bell
mine, which is said to have contained
sixty men.
II is positively known nine were
killed. Communication is shut OF.
and miners, mostly Films. are unable
to give any details yet. The first in
dication are that it is the worst ca
tastrophe that ever happened in San
Miguel county.
At II a. ma procession of sleds
is now entering Telluride, bringing
down bodies of those extricated from
the ruins of the bunk house of the
Liberty Belle mine
1t is reported that over fifty men
were caught in the slide. Some say
seventy-five.
Fred Clemmer boss of the boarding
house. and Charles Holloway are
among the killed.
The telephone wire to the mine be-
ing down makes it hard to get any
reliable news
The slide came down at Z 80 a m
1t is undoubtedly the worst accident
that ever rappehed in this section.
At AS p. m. it is thought folty
men are missing. This is mostly
conjecture. however, as the books ot
the timekeeper are buried in the
slide and it will be some time before
xhe accurate list of missing can he
given. No bodies have been brought
to town. Only those injured are he
ing brought down for medical atten-
ton.
The names of those known TO lie
killed are:
Jack Marshall first cook; denry
Bauer. second cook: F. C. Clemmer.
steward; Harry r. Summerland. Gus
swanson, Jimmie Conley, :irss fun
kies; Joe Hennessey, second tiurkey.
Badly hurt: Ritter Roben.
Harry Trowbridge is also without
doubt dead.
Those badly injured at the hospi-
al: Henry Power, cook fractured
limb, scalp wound and abdomen in
jury; Ferdinando Zansucchi. fraCtHe
of skull; Jack Ballou. bruises about
head and internal injuries: Charles
Goodall, bruises on head and intcrua.
injuries; Mr.. Power has a brollen
thigh. and it is now believed he viii
recover.
In response to telegram to tere-
gram from The Herald the following
special was received from the Teliu
ride journal at 3 o'clock this after
noon, giving latest information:
TELLURIDE, Colo, Feb. 2S.-3 10
m.-CSpecial to The Herald. -
This morning at 1880 snowsli'e
swept away bunk boarding and ore
houses at the Liberty Bell mine. .six-
ty to seventy men comprising the
eight shift wcre buried. At ten O'Clock
80. bodies nad been taken out A
heavy snow has been falling steadii.
since midnight. and there are no signs
of letting up. The wind is rising and
snow is two feet deep at timber iine.
The telephone wire is broken on top
OF the range.
- Word reached town at 80 that a
seconI Slid" had come down, burying
the Tsscuing party.
AT 2:15 p. III. the work on the slide
vas abandoned owing to the increas-
ing verify of the storm and danger
to the lives Of the rescuers.
The death list will exceed fifteen,
and may reach twenty. Seven bodies
nave been recovered so far.
The Liberty Bell mine and mill Ell
terprises together constitute one oil
the ideal industries of the west, par
ticularly the mill, which is idealistio
in its construction and perfected ia
cilities for close saving of values Al
the lowest possible cost under the sci
ences and appliances known today to
milling.
The mill is near Telluride, about A
half mile distant and the mine is two
and half miles distant, nearly due
west. lying in the lap OF long sweep
ing snowslide track, running in n
south direction from the top of the
mountain on which are situated the
great SmuSSlef-U mon. Snerluan- Men
dota and other wonderful producers
of gold and silver.
A tramway carries the ores of the
Liberty Bell group of mines to the LIlli
its two and half miles OF cable be,
ing one of the longest trans in the
San Juan. The last mile OF the tram
line nearest to the mill, is not very
precipitous. Rising from the mill
over the first bluff overlooking the
San Miguel river, the tram line pass
es over rough and somewhat broken
rampant of the mountain to the north
which might be termed fiat. The
slide starting from its only source
would find it a physical impossible t.
turn to the eastward and reach the
mill The Liberty Bell mine is one
OF the many which must be operated
in the face of great danger when
snowsldes are imminent or close &c
save its men.