Show 0 A MINING TOWN UNDER WATER A few years ago the mining excitement of the west was centered in the thunder mountain district in central idaho the big rush to the new discovery was on in the dead of winter and thousands of prospectors miners and investors braved the snow and the storm to get into the new eldorado for quite awhile the district flourished claims were developed and improved and quite a town called roosevelt was built in the little flat below the mineral zone for some reason however thunder mountain has never made good extensive development work was performed on a number or of properties and mills were constructed but no dividends were ever recorded and gradually the district was practically abandoned for the last few years but little has been heard regarding thunder mountain and it might have slipped from memory but for the disaster which has overtaken the little town of roosevelt considering si which the statesman of boise says roosevest Rooseve Hoo sevelt Jt the principal town in n the thunder mountain district in central idaho in 1902 today is covered by a lake yards in length and yards in width and of an averige average depth of twenty five feet it was the scene of a gold old strike nine years ago and thousands braved the hardships and hazards of the trail it proved a disappointment though much pay ore was developed nearby the circumstance which wiped the town of roosevelt from the map was peculiar it resulted from a landslide two years ago starting near the source of mule creek a mile and a half liala from the settlement the great avalanche of earth and stone ploughed sloughed hed its way through a virgin forest with a roar that was heard for miles twenty six hours after the break occurred the mass stopped abruptly across the lower part of A r Vs T 4 6 A W table floor in plant of general engineering company the town forming a dam for monument creek which has now formed a lake where the townsite stood there were few residents in the town at the time of the slide and all escaped with their possessions owing to the slowness of the avalanche A log schoolhouse schoolhouse and two cabins out of its path now stand as silent sentinels to mark the vanished town the buildings are situated above the water line and as the lake has risen to a point that it has an outlet it is not likely the water will become deeper roosevelt camp today is deserted the residents having moved to other holdings the mines are closed and the prospectors and miners have sought newer and more promising fields in the tributary country which is rich in mineral resources it is hardly probable that the camp ever will be resurrected as it is isolated and oft off the line of transportation besides which it would take a fortune to drain the water oft off to make it fit for habitation |