238 



slide of gigantic proportions passed over the Aspeu miues. The engine-house was 

 crushed in, aud the engine and boiler buried, and several men killed. Half an hour 

 later another slide occurred in an adjoining gulch, which passed over the Last Chance 

 mine, but without damaging effect. At 5.30 the lire-bell annouuced the occurrence 

 of another slide, and investigation revealed that two ore-wagons, mules, and drivers 

 had been buried in another slide near the Late Acquisition. 



Another slide occurred on Castle Creek last night which caused the closing down 

 of the electric-light works. The seven men who started for Maroon Pass yesterday 

 morning have not yet been heard from. A slide between here aud Ashcroft last even- 

 ing took away a shanty, in which a man and woman were known to have lived. 



Just before dark last night three teams and four men were caught oa Aspen 

 Mountain near the Last Chance mine. They were found to-day uninjured, having 

 been imprisoned nineteen hours. 



Aspen, Colo., Januanj "21, 18S6. — The results of the terrible snow-slides of Tuesday 

 continue to arrive. (Accounts of accidents are given.) During the past three days 

 twenty-seven snow-slides have occurred in the neighborhood of Maroon Pass. This 

 evening a miner from Conundrum stated that a fearful slide occurred this afternoon 

 in exactly the same spot where occurred the fatal slide two years ago in which sev- 

 eral men were killed. 



Ouray, Colo., January 21, 1S86. — George Boss, mail-carrier, reported a large slide on 

 the Button mine, in which four miners were swept away and the new plant of ma- 

 chinery and houses a total wreck. The Gilpin County Mining Company's building 

 and George Porter's store at Snetiels are all gone. The loss of life and i^roperty will 

 be large. 



LeadviUe, Colo., January 21, 1888. — About 10 this morning a slide occurred on the 

 Blue River Branch of the Rio Grande near Chalk ranch. The track covered at 

 least 10 feet. 



Gunnison, Colo., January 23, 1386. — Xews has just been received here of two snow- 

 slides which occurred yesterday morning, in the northern end of this county, in which 

 five men lost their lives. The "Excelsior mine in Poverty Giilch, 8 miles north of 

 Crested Butte, was the scene of the horrors. The second slide occurred on White 

 House Mountain, in Crystal Basin. Many small slides and narrow escapes are also 

 reported in different sections. 



lu the following-, therefore, tbat wbicli appeared worth Doting iu the 

 volume referred to has been presented. As far as could be ascertained 

 uoliterature ou the subject is extant in this countr}'. 



NATrKE OF SNOW. 



Show is of different qualities according to the temperature of the 

 atmosphere, and on its quality depends the form, the manner of forma- 

 tion, and the progress of snow-slides and avalanches. 



The temperature at which snow may fall (in the Alps) ranges between 

 40^ and 12o Fahrenheit. At low temperatures snow falls rarely, and then 

 only in fine needle-like crystals. With a north wind it snows mostly 

 at a temperature below, with a south wind above, the freezing point. 

 The snow-fall at temperatures above zero is to be explained by the ex- 

 istence of a lower temperature in the higher strata of the atmosphere 

 where the snow forms. During a continuous snow-fall, and especially if 

 the wind changes, the temperature, and witli it tlie form of the snow, 

 may change considerably. 



Snow falling at low temperatures is dry and composed of small fiakes, 



