Amador ledger., 1905-12-22
DEATH IN A SNQW STORM.
An Interesting Account of a Winter
Spent In the Milds of Idaho.

the wood fire, around which we had
gathered after our days hunt in the
Maine woods, and thrust it in the
bowl of his pipe, have but little idea
of the heavy snow falls of the
Rockies and the Sierras, or what
damage is often caused from the ac-
cumulated weight. 't-
1 remember well, he added, hearing
my father tell how in York State
back in the thirties, that the fall was
once so great that the men were COM
PEELED to organize relief parties to dig
away the big drifts from many of
the houses, and that when driving
along the streets one could almost
look, from the level, into the second
story window. But as I passed the
first twenty years Of my life in that
town and witnessed nothing more
remarkable than drifts over the top
rails of fences and. the temporary
blocking Of the scarcely-traveled
back roads, 1 conclude those stories
must have gained somewhat from the
lapse of years.
+ He smoked rapidly and quietly for
a moment, perhaps to gather his
thoughts little and resumed, why
the fall was SO excessive and contin-
uous once in Idaho Territory upon the
steep roof of our mill, that the large
timber Of 12x14 below which the en-
gine had been built, was bent. almost
to breaking. We feared our extra
weight would surely break it, but
fortunately the weather changed, the
warm south wind blew up the canyon
and the snow below the caves of the
building settled so that we could dig
under the huge mass and by night
had caused miniature snow slide and
relieved the strain. I believe, how
ever, the timber never regained it's
normal position. But in the mining
town in the Sierras where 1 wintered
in the early sixties, our first snow fell
during October and in the morning lay
four feet on the level. The storm
lasted about forty-eight hours and we
then had beautiful weather for sew
eral weeks. When the snow had par
TALLY melted, the frame of a ten
horse wagon, from which the wagon
box had been removed, was found to
be crushed to splinters, even the
spokes Of the wheels being torn and
twisted out of all recognition. From
the last of November until May, Sc
we're storms were of very frequent ec-
currence until, by actual measure
ment, the snow lay nearly thirty feet
on the level. To travel any distance
whatever was of course impossible,
without snow shoes, and every man,
woman and child became more or less
of an expert. We used the Norwegian
shoe exclusively, for with them the
sport is fast and furious. Eleven feet
long and about four inches broad,
with a leather band about one-third
from the toe by which the foot is
firmly held by its forward pressure,
the toe of the shoe gracefully turned
upward, we learned to brag of them
and cherish them, as the rider does
his horse, as well we might, for with
out them we were helpless. The bot
tom Of the shoe is made as smooth
as glass and covered after each trip
with a mixture of tallow and bees
wax. A stout hickory pole, chosen
with great care, about six feet long
and with knob on the end, is the
guiding rudder, and the expert soon
learns to pass near, and often be-
tween, objects where the slightest
miscalculation would mean death.
AS the speed, down any steep noun
tain side, often exceeds a mile a min
ute, the modern cyclist or auto is not
in it. s2.
Of course in these deep SHOWS the
one story cabin of the miner would
soon be buried, but care is always
taken to shovel away as far as pos
sible the accumulat1ons that come
with the earlier storms. When there
are piles everywhere and shoveIling
becomes useless, the snow is per-
mitted to lie where 1t falls and in
greSs and egress to the cabin is made
by way of the chimney. No fires for
warmth are needed, as not breath
of air can enter the cabin and none
are made except such as can be kept
in the large camp kettles, hung in
the fire place on crane. The Chin
ney is kept free from snow by means
of wooden roof fitting over its top,
and above it, and it is absolutely es-
sential that between it and the roof
the snow must be kept cleared away.
Steps are arranged in the chimney
for easy climbing and when the miner
enters his cabin he stands his shoes
in the snow bank a short way from
the chimney, as otherwise his home
could not readily be found.
Once more he paused, reflled and
lighted his pipe and said as if to him
self. And it all happened over forty
years ago.
The two Carlton brothers, veterans
of the Civil War from Maine, where
they claimed to have some snow
storms of their own, lived in a cabin
some little distance from the main
street. The huge banks of snow had