STORY OF A SURVIVOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2308, 26 May 1898, Page 11

STORY OF A SURVIVOR.

Leon Brock, of Buffalo, N.Y., who spent four hours under 20fb of snow, tells the following story : —

"On Saturday I went over to Lake Lindeman to see a friend of mine who was sick and wished to return. It was snowing vary hard when I started yesterday to go back tc Bennett, after leaving my friend in- Sheep Camp. After reaching the Scales I shopped at No. 99 restaurant to dry my clothes. There was quite a crowd there at the time, but none of them apprehended danger. In a moment; a Swede rushed in and said the second tent above us had been struck by a snowslide, which buried six men t-tid two women. We all went over, aud in half an hour had dug them out alive. We took them to 99, and then consulted about what we should do, as everybody feared other slides. It was decided to go to Sheep Camp. A rope 200 ft long was secured, and almost everyone at the Scales took hold of it, and down we started.

'• The snow was drifting and blowing, bub about 100, got on the rope. The women were lashed to the line, and on we went. Tbe trailmakers carefully picked their way down to the foot of the first pitch. Here a turn was made, and we waded through snow almost up to our necks 500 ft to the left, across the top of Long Hill to where the cable was stretched on which freight is hauled up. We followed the cable down to the bottom of the second pitch, and then fell; comparatively safe, for soon we would reach Sboue House, where the wind wa« lulled and the trail was easy to find. To the rightj about 100 ft above, is a tramway power-house. Directly below this we noticed a tent. A halt was made while somebody went to invite those in the tent to join our line. Three dead men were found in the tent, who had been crushed by freight.

•'Had this delay nob been made our entire line would have reached Sheep Camp and safety. As it was, we remained over 10 minutes, and just as we were moving again somebody ran up the line shouting, ' Boys, the power-house is coming dawn on us.' He scarcely had uttered the words when I felb myself gently pushed forward by some snow. I tried to retain my equilibrium, but the pressure became greater and greater, and finally I fell, face down, in the snow, something sliding down over me. 1, of course, thought it was the po war-house, but now know it was snow. There I lay, perfectly conscious, suffering no pain, but unable to move eren a finger. I tried to open my hand to let go the rope, but even that was impossible.