Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-04-12
MEMORIES OF
slLvearon SLIDES

NJ MOHlEo OF
slLveRTon SLIDES
From the Sllverton Standard two
stories are told by survivors of the re-
cent snowslides. as follows;
Three times in my life." said Hall.
has death grabbed for me and mighty
near caught me. When 13 years old
| fell OFF n raft into lake and vent
| down twice, as I couldn't swim lick.
BY pure luck caught a plank and
held ON until help came.
Three years ago | was working
In mine near Rico. cave-in came
down on me while I was working Ia
a stope, covering me TO the chin.
was three months In the hospital
from this, with my back almost brok.
en- and otherwise badly injured.
''Iiut this Shenandoah affair was
the worst | do not want to go up
| against any more snowslides. There
is nothing takes the conceit out OF
man so quick as to be swiped by one
of them.
"rhe snow lay heavy above the
| mine. but we did not feel nervous In
fact Ed. Kirk, who was one OF the
Victims. went up the day before the
Slide and took a snapshot OF the over
hanging drifts which few hours lat
er swept hIm into eternity Since his
| death the plates have been developed
and they are exceptionally good.
THE slide struck us with the swift
ness of thunderbolt. There was no
forewarning- nothing. We we're chat.
| ting and smoking and playing cards
everything sociablc and homelike.
Then we were out In tho snow, strug
Cling like drowning men--swept
along, sometimes on top. sometimes
underneath. helpless as feathers in 4
| whirlwind.
Il had no time to get frightened or
| to consider my dilemma. II had
any defined feeling 1t was that OF
| philosophy. | was In the hands OF an
| irresistible power and knew 1t.
by toss of fate was cast near
| the surface. Ny head was slightly
under the snow and | was pinned
down by sacks of -four and other
| kitchen belongings that we're swept
along with us. / managed to get my
| head out so 7 could breathe. but It
was necessary for my comrades to
| lift the sacks off my shoulders before
| could stir. Then after few min
utes found / WAS as good as ever and
assisted In rescning Others"
Gould Tells His Experiences.
Al Could another one of the sur
yiyors, said:
"T~enty-one men were In the bunk
house at 6.30, eight looking at
checker game In the back room. Sew
| en- of them were saved and two who
| were in the front room. There were
two slides, one on each side OF the
gulcb One slide took away the bunk
house and tore down the blacksmith
| shop. throwing all OF the men out into
the rushing snow.
Il was struck on the head and
seemed TO be heaved out OF the snow
slide just as II stopped running, about
40 feet below where the bunk house
stood
| When ! came to my senses could
see four hands sticking out of the
snow. | and another man, who was
also thrown out, at once commenced
TO dig out the men. We dug the
snow away from the faces OF the men
so they could breathe and afterward
dug them out.
Il went to the ore house to get q
shovel and returning gave 1t to the
other man. who dug out the other
survivors, whose faces we had uncoy-
cred. 1t was storming fierceiy at tho
time. and 1t was miracle that any
one was saved.
After we We're out we went into
the engine room. In the tunnel. and
remained until morning, burning
candles to keep warm. In the mosn-
ing we went down Into the ore house.
built fire In the stove and remained
there until Monday morning, then we
came down to Silverton. walking az
far as Silver Lake mill and there TAX
Ing team for town. Five came
down In the morning and four In the
evening. The five that came In the
morning started two slides and mar.
rowIy escaped. but managed TO reach
the town in safety"