Gilpin observer., 1906-03-22
FOURTEEN DEAD
IN AWFUL sNoWsLIpEs NEAH
SILvERToN.
ONE SLIDE KILLS TWELVE
Two Killed at Bonner Group -
Twelve Meet Death at the Shenan-
doah Mine-Others In Fear.

ooah Mine-Others In Fear.
Denver.-A Silverton special to the
Denver News Monday night says:
Fourteen lives were lost and prop
erty valued at 100000 was destroyed
by snowslides which have run in the
mining district around Silverton since
Saturday afternoon. The greatest loss
OF life and property was at the She
nandoah mine, where on Saturday
night at 6 O'Clock a slide occurred,
carrying death to twelve persons and
destroying property valued at $2O0, 900.
Two hours before, a slide ran near
the Bonner group, killing two men and
damaging property to the extent Of
$4,000. During to-day slides have
run carrying away the Green Mountain
mill and good portion of the property
of the Old Hundred mine and mill. To
night every mine in the district is
closed and the men have come to Sill
verton to await until after the danger
from snowslides is past.
Following is list of the men killed
at the Shenandoah mine:
Jacob Thebolt, Jess Shaw, Gus
Heise, Peter Carburt, Ed. Kirk. Bert
Albert, Flake Blanston, Emil Bird,
- Gustafson, Candio Vercelli,
James Vercelli, Tony Oberto.
The two men killed at the Bonner
group were: William Thon D Jon,
George Abbott.
The slide at the Shenandoah mine
was the most disastrous in loss of life
and property. Tten men were asleep
in the upper part of the building and
seventeen were below eating supper
when the roar of the slide was heard.
1t crashed into the wooden building
and swept away the entire lower por-
ton, grinding up the men who were
eating like so many shells crushed in
strong hand. Those VINO were above
sleeping were not injured. Manager
Hill was among those who were car
ried down the steep mountain by the
avalanche. He managed to crawl out
and wandered around all night in the
snow and darkness unable to find his
way back to the mine until morning.
The other four were rescued by their
comrades. Hill is now confined to his
bed with pneumonia contracted from
the exposure and cold.
The two men killed at the Bonner
group, ten miles north of Silverton.
were working their own claims. They
were swept down the mountain side
and their bodies have not yet been re-
covered.
The Green Mountain mill was car
ried away on Saturday. The slides
carried away many trans in addition
| to destroying mine buildings. bunk
houses and mills. Among the proper
| ties whose trans were swept away by
| the slides were the Silver Lake, the
Mogul, the Iowa and the Sunnyside.
The Iowa mill was also carried away
| Tonight Silverton is filled with min
ers, 5000 having fled from the hills to
| escape the great white peril. Every
mine in the San Juan is closed. and
Will remain closed until all danger
from slides is past. Silyerton had
! had no newspapers since March f1th.
and it will be twenty days before the
railroads will be able TO clear their
tracks and haul in mail and provis-
ions. Silverton is cut off from Du-
| range by rail, and the telephone and
| telegraph lines are down.
The great Iowa slide ran to-day. 1t
was twenty feet wide and stretches
along the railroad track on the edge
of town for distance of more than
400 feet.
This is the worst year in the his
tory of the San Juan for slides. The
loss of life and property has been
greater than ever in any previous year.
and the end is not in sight. Slides are
increasing hourly, and reports when all
damage is known will probably reach
a much greater figure.
The great Silver Lake mines, owned
| by the Guggenheims and under the
| management of W. Rowland Cox. are
closed tonight completely for the first
time in three years. Only the pumps
are kept going. Everything Is done
that can be done to make life and prop
erty safe. All that is left to do Is TO
watch and wait. and with no man
knowing at what minute the awful
slide will run, leaving devastation and
| death in it's path.