Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1884 — SWEPT FROM THE EARTH. [ARTICLE]

SWEPT FROM THE EARTH.

Seventeen People Overwhelmed by an Avalanche in the Colorado Mountains. A Village Completely Obliterated—Many Bound. [Denver Dispatch.] A snow-slide descended on the little snowbound station of Woodstock, on a branch of the South Park Railroad, se'venty-flve miles southwest of Leadville, at 6 o’clock last evening, carrying away every building in the town. Including the railway station. The news was brought to Pitkin, nine miles distant, by a section hand on snowshoes, arriving at 2 this afternoon. Eighteen persons are known to have been caught in the avalanche, including Mrs. Doyle, a widow, who kept the station, her six children, another woman, name unknown, and ten section men. The two women were rescued last night. They were alive, but seriously injured. The body of one section hand was recovered this morning. None of the others can escape alive. As soon as the news reached Petkin fire bells sounded an alarm, and a large number of citizens started on snow-shoes to the scene of the disaster. Among the missing are Jacob Caswell, of Tomichi, J. S. Brown, tele) graph operator at the station, George Alexander, Horace Alexander, and Mike Shea. A largo number of snow-shovelers leave in the morning. The snow-fall in the mountain districts of Colorado the present winter is without parallel in the history of the Slate. Many of the mining camps west and south have been snowbound since November. The San Juan country has been tho greatest sufferer, Durango, Silverton, Rico, containing from one to five thousand inhabitants, are still blockaded, no trains having reached either town for several weeks. Breckenridge, fifty miles north of Leadville, is nearly destitute. Montezuma, ten miles distant, is in a pitable condition. Gunnison, situated a few miles from the largest coal mines in the State, is. suffering from *- coal famine. Snow is eight feet on a level over the whole Country; in the ravines and gulches from fifty to a hundred feet. Tbe only means of communication is on snowshoes, and few men are heroic enough tp brave the hitter storms. When spring thaws move these mountains of snow fearful results must follow. Five Men Killed by an Avalanche in Oregon. [Portland (Oregon) Telegram.] Five men engaged In grading on the Baker City Branch Railroad through Pyle Canon, Union County, Oregon, were caught under a vast land-slide and crushed to a jelly. A very heavy blast had just been fired, which loosened a huge mass of earth and rocks on the side of the mountain, which came down so suddenly that the men had no time to run. The names of the victims were not obtainable.