238 



slide of gigantic proportions passed over the Aspen mines. The engine-house was 

 crushed in, and 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 vrithout damaging eli'ect. At o.Sn the lire-bell announced the occurrence 

 of another slide, and in^'estigarion revealed that two ore-wagons, mules, and drivers 

 had been buried in another slide near the Late Aeciuisition. 



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 and Aslicroft 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 on Aspen 

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

 been imprisoned nineteen hours. 



Aspen, Colo., January '21. 1S56. — The results of the terrible snow-slides of Tuesday 

 continue to arrive. (Accounts of accidents are given.) During the past three 4ays 

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

 evening a miner from Conundrum stated that a fearful slide occtirred 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. — George Boss, mail-carrier, reported a large slide on 

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

 chinery and houses a total wreck. The Gilpin I'ounty Mining Company's buikling 

 and George Porter's store at Suelfcls are all gone. The loss of life and property will 

 be large. 



LcadviUe. Colo., January 21. ISSG. — Abotit 10 this morning a slide occurred on the 

 Blue Eiver Branch of the Kio Grande near Chalk ranch. The track covered at 

 least 10 feet. 



Gunnison, Colo., January 2Q, ISSo. — Xews has just been received here of two snow- 

 slides which occurred yesterday morninu'. in the n<u tlicrn end of this connry. in which 

 five men lost their lives, The ExceUior mine in Poverty Golch. miles north of 

 Crested Butte. wa> the scene of the horrors. The s.econd slide occurred on AVhite 

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

 reported in ditierent secdons. 



lu the following, therefore, that which appeared worth noting iu the 

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

 no literature on the subject is extant in this couutr}'. 



NATrEE OF SNOW. 



Snow is of different qualities according- to the temperature of the 

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

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



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

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

 only in fiue 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 with it the form of the snow, 

 may change considerably. 



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



