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Show gulch, turned a 65° angle up the main creek, and deposited snow for 700 feet up the canyon. In its path was the small mining community of Mace. Eighteen people were caught in their houses, and all survived except a ten year old boy. As the avalanche came down, it tore out power lines that were 125 feet above the floor of the avalanche path; sheared off 16- 20 inch trees; deposited snow on the railroad and highway from 10 to 30 feet deep; knocked down 18 power poles; and destroyed 16 buildings. In addition the air blast ( beyond where the snow was deposited) blew over 650 feet of dense polestand on the hillside opposite the gulch and damaged at least 16 other buildings, some of which were 900 feet up the canyon from the last snow deposition. The avalanche knocked one house 35 feet off its foundation into the creek. Others were moved off their foundations, and a number of roofs were dislodged. One survivor said he had been asleep, and " when I woke up the snow was piling on top of my bed." A mother, with her 16 month old baby in her arms, said she heard the rumbling, " then came the shock- it was all black and snow all around us- we couldn't get air." AVALANCHE DATA The upper 1/ 3 of the slide path is 65- 75% slope with a southeast aspect. The lower 2/ 3 of the path is 45- 50%, and faces south. The avalanche path drops 1500 feet in elevation, and is about 5000 feet long. The depth of the slab was reported at 4 feet, with a 7- 9 foot snow depth in the accumulation ( starting) zone. This slide, as well as those in report 56- 2, were probably hard slabs, but the added weight from the wet snow undoubtedly assisted in the release. Code for slide: HS- N- 5. COMMENTS The strength of the air blast that moves in front of the avalanche is graphically illustrated in this accident. Avalanches have run in this same gulch in 1910 and 1949. The 1910 slide killed 12 people. It is fortunate that more lives were not lost in the 1956 accident. Are 13 deaths incentive enough to move the town to a safer location? If not, it would seem evacuation would be in order during periods of high hazard. 24 |
