This Day in Idaho History, Feb 27-28

Snowslides at Mace and Burke kill over 20 and destroy Carbondale Hill Mining Co

February 27-28, 1910

The Mace slide from Custer Peak hit at 10:35pm and went through the town and up the opposite slope.  The canyon was filled with 45 feet of snow.  A construction train was tossed from the track into a ravine and those on board had to dig their way out.  By shear luck, the slide missed the Standard Mine boarding house, where 300 miners were sleeping, by 120 feet.  

Old timers in the region had been warning of slides due to the record snows and recent Chinook winds and rain.  When word of the Mace slide got to Burke it caused a near evacuation of Burke, most likely saving many lives when a slide hit town at 5:30am.  

The Burke slide was 3,000 feet long and filled the canyon, burying Burke under 50 feet of snow.  It took up to 8-10 hours to dig survivors out.