Douglas Island news., 1902-02-26

The Ketchikan Journal gives the fol lowing particulars of the snow slide which occurred at an early hour Mon day morning the 2nd inst, by which three we'll known miners-Chris. Jen- sen, James Lodge and Thomas Me Devitt-lost their lives. They were on the way to begin their days labor when the catastrophe occurred. The fourth man, Charles Ferring, who was employ ed as a cook, relates that soon after they had left the cabin, which is locat- ed not more than 15O yards from the entrance to the tunnel, he heard a rumbling noise, and running to the door looked in the direction they had taken, and realized at once, that not having had time to reach the tunnel they must be buried under the snow, though the slide was not large one, being the wet snow only. Feering first endeavored to locate the spot where the men were lying by probing the snow with section of gas or water pipe which he procured from the black smith shop, and failing in that proceed ed alone and unaided to dig away the snow in hopes of possibly finding them in time to save their lives. He kept steadily at work for nearly, if not quite twenty-four hours, when practically exhausted, and desparing of being able to accomplish any good in the way of relief, made his way a distance of five miles or more to Stevens x Blanchard's camp on the beach, where he secured the assistance of five others, who ac- companied him to the scene of the disaster, and labored zealously all day Wednesday, when they abandoned the task as hopeless and returned to the beach. In the meantime Mir. Blanch- ard. avaiIing himself of the presence at his camp of Capt. Peter McKinnon's sloop, Columbia, came to Ketchikan for assistance, arriving here early Saturday afternoon. As soon as possible meet irg of the Redmen, of which order Me Dewitt was a member, was convened and prompt measures taken to dispatch a strong party to the relief of the buried men, there still being faint hope of finding them alive. A party of eighteen, including pr. Dickerson, left early Sunday morning in the Columbia in tow of the little steamer Diana, and arrived on the scene of the disaster about noon the next day. They i'm mediately set to work and at the end of AS hours of almost incessant toll, dur ing which time they dug almost entirely all through the slide which was about POO yards long, and probably 30 feet wide at the lower end, and from to 14 feet deep, they found the lifeless bodies close together, apparently about l5o yards from where they had first fallen under the weight of snow. It found that one of the holes made by Ferring in probing with the gas pipe. was within aninch or two of McDevitt's face, and that it was apparent that he had lived considerably longer than the others.
 Now comes news of big strike in quartz on Lake Atlin. H. Findley says that he and associates have located claim on which the lead is 600 feet wide and averaging S10 in gold, SIP in silver and per cent copper. In many places in the lead great masses of pure copper bulge out, one mass measuring 15 feet across. On another claim a series of pockets of white quartz with knots of gold embedded in it as large as beans, has been struck.