Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-12
THE PROVO CANYON SNOWSLIDE.
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nnnruuuul ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
was worth all the terror II had cost.
Even the horses were subdued into a
trembling awe. There before them,
scarcely 300 yards above, was quarter.
circle Of snow hurting through the air,
Now II has reached the river The high
keyed deapason OF the avalanche sud-
denly descends 10 "A deep bass Of con-
tinuous dull tbuds, as the snow and
rock and uprooted trees pile Up In the
gorge below.
All what is this. The white mass
begins TO move down stream. Is Il be-
cause Of the accumulated momentum OF
the river, or Is this lateral movement
produced by the titanic blows OF the
downpouring avalanche? on Il comes
slowly. but with terrible majesty. IL
has reached the bridge and passes up-
der. WIN IL oyertake the fugitives7
Suddenly the dcafening roar ceases,
and the echoes begin. The gorge has
vomited forth lis undigested burden
the avalanche Is still
Quickly the awe-stricken wayfarers
hitch the team 20 the buggy; and none
to soon. for the river Is beginning To-
crawl over the fattened embankment
Already a stream Is pouring down the
road. Grateful IN their sense OF relief
they hasten 20 leave behind them a
scene which ere long shall attract hun
dreds OF curious sightseers.
III.
As snow-slldcs are rather frequent
In Provo canyon ut this time Of the
year, little attention was paid at first
10 the news of this one, which reached
the city Monday morning. Blu, when
II was announced that the Rio Grande
mad employed three hundred men TO
clear the track, people began to be-
lieve II an unusual occurrence Such,
In fact, was the interest awakened. that
the railroad authorities began nj length
TO see the financial possibilities OF the
situation, and accordingly announced
an excursion TO the scene on tn day
afternoon.
The agent, however, had far under
rated the desire TO see the avalanche;
he had provided only three coaches and
two freight cars. The coaches had
been filled and packed at the lower sid
ings so that when the train reached
the Smoot station, the two hundred stu
dents and teachers awaiting II had to
tackle the box cars, where they clam
bered and hung In groups as thick as
ants summing Themselves In spring
time.
The afternoon was beautiful, the sun
shine being all the more glorious by
contrast with the mists and clouds that
had ovorshadowed the city for two
months past. The heavy SHOWS had
disappeared, leaving a striking contrast
between the rich black soil OF the
plowed fields and the whltened stubble
of the unplowed patches here aud there.
In the cottonwood groves along the
river, the leaves had been packed into
mats, and the leafless trees presented
an unbroken aspect OF gray, save in
places where the timber-wlllow anu
kinnl- kinlc bushes glistened In browns
and dark reds. The ricks Of cordwood,
neatly piled zip among the trees, showed
that the farmers had not been idle dur
ing the recent months Of snow,
II was a transition scene--neither
winter nor spring--that the excursion
lists looked out lpon in the valley be-
low, Before them loomed Mount TIM
panogas. always majestic but now COW
cred from crest 10 foothills IN a mantle
OF white. The Wasatch range con,
tlnued this aspect of loftiness ana
purity In a seml-clrcle ON the northern,
eastern, and southern horizon, while on
the west the Oquirrh range presented
only irregular patches of snow, and the
lake still frozen over, looked In the
sunshine like a fragment OF the plains
OF Paradise.
The first signs Of human. activity met
their view at Telluride: neat oollec'
ton OF modern cottages clustering
around the new power plant IN u cove
M the mouth OF Provo canyon. the
10 900 horse power dynamoa We're not
vet In operation; but work was In pro-
gfess at various points, both on the
grounds and on the buildings.
AS the laboring locomotive pushed
the loaded cars into the narrow de-.
files OF the canyon, all eyes were turned
toward the smoke stack belchlng forth
It's dark hued clouds, which presently
changed into curling wrea'hs, then
hung In the air like a long ribbon OF
blue, which, as II lay along the snow,
banks on the northern slopes, suggested
the university colors. Only the poet
howeyer. saw this last beautiful vision.
Tho mob OF boys and girls saw ana
heard only each other-and the pun OF
the engine. -.
As the train rounded the curve above
Nunns. the present location OF the lei.
h,ride powerplant, the excitement OF
anticipation became evident among tnt
excursiOnlsts.
"Lookl there IL the snowslide, said Q
gushing young thing, pointing 70 lonp
streak OF white on the north side OIL the
canyon,
pardon me, but you are mistaken,
replied a member OF the university ge'
ology class, that Is only n snowsilde
mo, the snowsllde. Every large mol
low on the north side OF the canyon mas
such n baby avalanche at this time o.
the year, but none of these reaches th'
river. Walt minute and your see I'M
real thing
Because of q long line Of boxcars, tn
Temporary quarters Of the wreekin.
gang. the train could get no neartl
than a quarter Of mile OF the bridge
| and the giant slide was two or thre'
hundred yards above that No soone
| Mad the excursonists scrambled to TN
point. however. than the tremendou
mass OF snow burst upon the view, II
M In all the splcndor OF a fun AFTER
noon sun, From the base Of the Brida
| Veil falls Ii had completely spanne'
| and filled the gorge OF the river /