The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-03-04
JARBlDGE MINER PLUNGES INTO
EXTINCT VOLCANO
Z. Il. Bell Falls Fifteen Hundred Fee,
While Friends Look on Unable
To Assist

While c. r. Bell and two com
panions were prospecting on a higl
mountain, 1000 feet above sea leve
at the extreme head of the Bruneal
river, last Monday, they came to tn,
mouth of huge volcano on the cres
of the bridge, and Bell, who started
across a thin bridge of ice toward the
edge of the crater for the purpose
of peeking over it, slid off with q
bank OF snow, diving headlong into
the awful abyss, and fell distance
of 1900 feet to the bottom of the great
hole.
Owing to the fact that snow storms
have ragged continuously on that
peak, and as the suns rays never
reach the bottom of the crater and
melt the snow, it is hoped by some
people that perhaps the bottom of the
crater was filled with snow so deep
that it would give way easily under
man falling from such terrific
height and yet check his momentum
sufficiently to keep his body from
striking the bedrock.
However, rescue is declared to be
impossible in any event, whether Bell
is alive or not, and those who have
visited the scene of the tragedy say
that recovery of the victims body
will not be possible until next Aug
ust.
There is not the slightest chance
that Bell, if by any miracle he is still
alive after such terrible fall, will
be able to Climb out without assist
ance, and assistance at this time is
beyond hope.
Starts Over Snow Bridge
According to the accounts of the
accident brought into Twin Fails from
Jarbidge by numerous arrivals today,
Bell and two companions we're walk
ing across the top of the mountain,
when Bell suddenly out-distanced his
companions, and by the tine they
companions, and by the time they
had reached the top, breathless and
fatigued, theey saw Bell walking gin
gerly across narrow bridge of ice
that led to what proved to be the edge |
of giant crater The ice was cover
ed with several feet of snow and Bell,
evidently unaware of his precarious
warning from his terrified friends.
According to the story of his COM
panions, as they told it to the miners
and engineers in Jarbidge after the
tragedy terrific wind was blowing
across the top of the mountain, and
the gale roared so loudly that in all
probability Bell could not hear their
warning cries.
At any rate, the excited man, heed
less Of the danger, went on until he
reached the very edge of the crater,
when he leaned over and peered down
into the volcanoes mouth, when the
bank of snow began to slide down the
bridge of ice.
Gave One Last Vel
With arms stretched out above his
head, his hands clutching wildly for
something to catch hold of Bell went
out over the crater's edge. While ,
he was first struggling, the terrified
man uttered no cries, but as he went s
over the rim and the realization that
he was falling to death through
1900 feet of air came over him, Bell I
gave a blood -curdling scream, and an
instant later his body was lost to
sight, hurting down the abyss. s
Hoping against hope, his two COM {
panions made off with all possible +
speed to Jarbidge, reaching the camp a
after hard trip over the snow-cov- s
cred mountains. i
Their terrible story of Bells fate b
aroused the camp and early Tuesday s
a large rescuing party was d
and as fast as possible its s
members went to the top of the s
where Bell fell into the n
crater. n
On the first trial, one of the men S
was lowered over the edge and down b
into the volcano on rope 200 feet n
long. When he was pulled back t,
again he said that he could see moth I
ing of Bells body below, and that Il
The. next landing in the side of the D
crater was 400 feet farther down. r,
The party then abandoned the search IL
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