Show H I WOBY IS S REPEA TED 1 This the Year for Heavy Snowsiides to Occur I FORMER SLIDES RECALLED Greatest One Ever in Rockies 1 at Riverside Colorado J Pack Train of Thirty Mules Except > J Lend and Rear Animals Carried r Away and Killed I i3asln Utah Dec 22 History repeats itself I every ten years This therefore Jj v the year where report3 oC snowslldca I in the mountains arc likely to he reported re-ported dully In this connection former great avalances which have caused heavy loss of life and destruction to property The historical snowsllde in Cotlonwood gulch which detroyed the town oC Alta Is I too well known to mention men-tion In this article but it reminds one of a like occurrence that happened to the town of Chattanooga on Mill creek near Sllvcrton In tho San Juan country during this winter of events in the snowslide line To all appearances I a slide had never been known to comedown come-down as far as the town but was an annual occurrence up the gulch to the west of the cnmp and stopped about a mile away from the town This time it took a straight shoot and for a full I mile ran on almost level ground through the center of the place destroying de-stroying the main part of the young I city Fortunately there were only I throo families living there and they happened to be out of the range of the I ill10 There were fourteen buildings completely ruined I I c RIVETtSLTDE SLIDE The largest and heaviest snowsllde known to have occurred In any country igwlmt is known as the Riverside slide I between Ouray and Reed mountain L Two slides one from each side of the Jlbd mountain gulch Invariably come dawn together and land solidly in then I the-n ntcr of the canyon Through the canyon I can-yon runs the main traveled road from Ouray to Red Mountain over which snow and Ice banks up to a depth of over 150 feet During the summer following fol-lowing such winters ns this promises to be the slides become a formidable J glacier and the road tunneled through I Jt for a distance of from ISO to 250 feet making It one of the scenic events of the circle route of the San Juan county coun-ty It was Kate Field who said that Bill Nye told the truth once when her he-r to this section as having nine I months of winter and three months late in the fall I PACK TRAIN CAUGHT I Another instance of where a snow I slide was quite particular as to Its victims vic-tims occurred on the Red Mountain load between Sllverton and old Red I Mountain town The Barr brothers with a pack train ot thirty mules were j I packing ore from the Congress mine at Red Mountain to Silver ton It was I I their custom for one to ride the lead or bell mule and the other to ride the last animal keeping the train In line betWeen be-tWeen them A slide came down ofC ot Anvil mountain during this fnmouf winter and carried away and killed I every pack animal leaving the two riding mules unmolested and saving the I lives of the two packers This story may show earmarks of Improbability but there arc old San Juaners in Salt I Lake now who can substantiate It and Jf necessary I hope they will do to VIEWING A SNOWSLIDE There arc so few people In this world who have not had an oppartunlty to seen see-n snowslldt and experience the effect I of one at a fairly safe distance awaIt 4 awa-It may he Interesting to explain the ijight of one and what qffcct It has upon up-on one viewing it A Sail Juan newspaper news-paper man one said that there were f three things he was actually afraid of I mid that was a snowsllde a pot flush and an angry woman He started out vlth the most frightful and ended tipI tip-I with the most fearful I A snowslido panorama Is Indeed a I most = beautiful and Interesting sight The first Intimation of one is I a dull I I thud then a roaring sound Shortly I after a loud of snow Is seen rising high inlo tije air then comes the rush or snow at lightning speed very much re I acmhlinf water running over a hot surface sur-face thiowlng up boiling steam The II I vory earth around you seems to tremble I trem-ble like vibrations from an earthquake f as it rashes down the mountain aide taking with It notonly trees but huge t bpulders both of which are noticeable I in the foamllko billows of therushlng snow REACTION FOLLOWS When dumped Into the chasm or cannon below then comes the reac tion For a few moments one seems like I jjjjt in the grip of comprcssud atmos I hero from ilu whole of the concussion i ind tlion a mist of flakey snow like I rost JllSngs on an Intensely cold morn tug envelop the entire scene and slowly passes away In a loud All that is left to low IB I the remains of a huge pile of broken snow discolored and defaced t by projecting trees and debris CAUSE OF SLIDES SnowIIdcs are Generally caused by diirtlng snows covering over the ridges cf mountain tops until its enormous weight brcalcs away and ausps the un tr aurfarc below to elide Heavy tlmI I lu 1 is oficn a slide breaker but tin rth5 of the annual snow illde are easily obTVcd by the lack of timber In I j Kukhes along the mountain sides JIMvy snows in the early part of the v nU oaune the dry slides which are rot so dangerous on account of the light snow The March and April slides uimposod of settled snows and oft I i times wet t and heavy are the most dan vroiij and destructive i I Many miners and mining companies omrir property within lie t locality of I 1 novfllde often start them purpose t ly by throwing uevcral Sticks of lighted Sant lto1vL < Into the head of the I VUlch thcioby avoiding accldenta It t 1 Is tdom two slides run in the same T > lvu > during the cason and even then I < second elide la t not usually danger I oti t oul 1 orr Jill appearances the present v mi > r > in3 started in to repeal the hls oi if 1 vC5 oi destructive snowslldea tI throu7Vt t Mi Rocky mountain region f j t itviuinbly t come every ten years |