Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-01-23
Big Landslide
Wrecks House
Girl Not Hurt

pH ecu JuoJ ubONO DVfChJll, dI
o'clock yesterday afternon. Her hum
BILE home, wall tent, was practically
obliterated by the thousands Of tons
Of rock, mud, trees, logs, stumps, and
debris which roared and crashed down
from the top of the steep hillside,
distance of 200 feet. Miss Carlson
was playing the violin and did not
hear the warning rumble of the avail
anchc, before 1t picked up the house,
tore it to pieces and left the ruins
and debris down in the ravine 80 or
40 feet below where it stood
The girl was caught in the vortex
Of Shiny mud and half buried, but
she did not sustain a scratch. She
struggled for several minutes before
she was arble to eXtricate herself and
clear tho mud from her face SO she
could get her bearings. Then she ran
to Victor Kaspars homo, 260 Grant
street, and notified her brother Tied"
Carlson and her sister Idora Carlson
who were down town at work and
who made their home with her.
Had the landslide occurred at night
time, all three of the Carlson would
doubtless have met instant death, as
the two beds and the couch in the
house were torn and twisted to pieces
and almost completely buried in the
mass of rock and earth.
One large fir tree fully 60 feet high
and about 10 inches in diameter had
been uprooted by the avalanche and
was hurled top foremost right over
the tent and had carried part Of the
roof away with 1t. A half rotted log
18 inches through and about Is feet
long struck the side of the house and
carried ono of the walls away
A unique feature Of the accident
was the fact that Mass Carlson's shoes
were torn from her feet; just how
she doesn't know, and when she
scrambled to safety she still had q
portion of the violin bow in her hand
An upright piano beside which she
had been standing as she played, was
the only piece of furniture Of any
size or weight that was not crushed
beyond repair The instrument was
thrown dozen feet and landing In
the mud but save for being badly
wrenchod dues not seem much thC
worse for the experience.
The timbered floor and walls Of the
PENTHOUSE were reduced to kindlinl
and Miss Carlson is entirely at a LOST
to understand how she escaped in
jury
az landed on top some wfy," sht
said with n laugh this morning, a!
she surveyed the wreckage. 9TH,
noise Of the violin must have drowned
out the sound of the landslide, for thu
first | knew Of It was when 1t strucI
the house and pitched It down tn
ravinc. Il was carried more than 81
feet, and you can see what is lef
Of It now. | never got even a scratcl
or bruise, but I was covered witt
mud from head to foot don't thinl
I got excited or lost my nerve, but
all happened so quickly that I didn'
exactly know what was going on.
= don't think even let out scream
was afraid there might be more o
the same thing, SO l pulled and tugge
, and waded to high and dry land. NJ
clothes were ruined and l got fitte
out here at Mrs. Kasper's
The Carlsons had been living O
, the side Of the gorge for the las
, three years, and this is the first slid
, that has ever disturbed their peac
, and quiet, The avalanche left a dee
cash in the hillside fully 30 feet wild
and carried everything before It 70
, n distance Of more than 200 feet. Tn
! crest Of the slide stopped on smai
I spot of level ground about 80 fec
: above the large two-story resldenc
Of Victor Kaspcr and not over fec
from tho homo of L. Campbell, 35
, Grant street. Mrs Campbell saw tn
, slide from her kitchen window.
at was a terrible sight to see tn
whole face of the hill moving down,
I she said The noise wGs az first lllS
, tho distant rumbllng of q heavy lun
/, ber wcgon and was accompanied b
the crackle and crashing Of trees an
. shrubbcry In the path Of the rushin
slide Il sent stream Of mud an
water down and partly filled on
basement, and we secured the Who'll
nelghborhood TO find some men I
help us turn the water aside. Fo
the life Of ME don't see how Mis-
Carlson ever escaped with her life
Hundreds Of people visited th
scene of the slide this morning an
carried away souvenirs So complet
was the work Of devastation that onl
n couple OF kitchen chairs were save
intact from the Carlson home. A fe'
bar tered cooking utensils wcro save,