The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-03-22
MUCH RUIN CAUSED
BY AN AVALANCHE
sNowsLIDE WRECKS BUILDINGS
OF MINE IN COLORADO.
ONE MAN KNOWN TO BE DEAD
Other Lives, It Is Feared, Have Been
Lost-Several Persons injured
Damage to Property May
Reach $500, 900.

snowslide in the Mount Sneffels dis
trict, six miles south of Ouray, Satur-
day night wrecked the Camp Bird mine
mill, farmhouse. boarding house and
reading room William Cressey is
known to have been killed, and 1t is
feared that other lives were lost. A
number of men. 1t is reported, were
seriously injured. The property loss is
estimated at from 100000 to $500, 900.
The Camp Bird bunkhouse, adjoining
the reading room, which was wrecked,
narrowly escaped being engulfed and
crushed. There were between 200 and
$50 miners and mill employees in this
building when the slide came down.
The residence of General Manager Cox
also escaped destruction by narrow
margin. The slide had largely spent
its force before reaching the assay
shops and general Offices of the Camp
Bird mine. "a
Crushed Like an Eggshell.
This avalanche, which moves annu-
ally and is called the United States
slide, was larger this year than ever
before. 1t started moving Saturday
evening at seven o'clock, following its
usual course. AS rule 1t spends its
force by the time it reaches the gulch.
but Saturday night 1t continued on to
the Camp Bird mill. crushing it like an
eggshell. This large mill, being in the
direct path of the avalanche, checked
its terrific force, otherwise it would
probably have reached and destroyed
the bunkhouse. Telephone communN
cation with the Mount Sneffels district
has been interrupted for four days and
the first news of the disaster was
brought to this city Sunday afternoon
by County Commissioner Smith, who
left the mine at daybreak. A rescue
party started out at once, but 1t will
take them several hours to reach Mount
Sneffels, as the roads and trains are
blocked with snow. A telephone mes
sage received here from Silverton at
three o'clock Sunday afternoon stated
that report has been received there
that scores of miners were killed by
the destruction OF the Camp Bird
boarding house, but this report is dis
credited here.
Story of Disaster Not Confirmed.
Telluride, Col, March ia rumor
was in circulation here that a passen-
ger train on the Rio Grande & South
ern had been swept by a snowslide
near Ophir Loop, and So persons killed
Diligent inquiry has failed to disclose
any foundation for the report. Rail-
road officials say there was no train in
the vicinity of ophir Loop at the time
when the slide occurred. For one
week it has been stormiag almost con-
tinually in this district. There has
not been train run between Telluride
and Durango for over a week and the
road is still blocked by snowslides near
ophir and Rio. Telegraph and tele-
phone communication is seriously in
terFupted.
Storm Brings Suffering.
Kansas City, Mo-, March 19.-An un-
usually heavy snowstorm prevails in
the southwest. The storm, accompa-
MED by stiff north wind, began early
on Sunday, and up to late hour con-
tinued unabated. The wind drifted the
snow badly both in city and country.
Street car traffic in Kansas City and
other Kansas and Missouri points was
totally stopped or badly interrupted.
Railway trains in every direction were
delayed. Although the weather was
not especially cold much suffering re-
suited. Following an unusually open
winter, hundreds of families provided
themselves with but meager supplies
of coal, and fuel companies, expecting
light demand during the remainder
OF the winter, had permitted their
stocks to run low. The longest con-
tinued stretch of cold weather in Kan
sas City and this part of the southwest
had been experienced during the past
week, eliminating Sunday. Coal deal
ers worked almost night and day to
supply the sudden demand for fuel.
WApEIIO COUNTY, FARMERS