Snowslide Claims Life of Harold Ross, Young Rancher, Wife Narrowly Escapes

From : Jackson Hole Courier

The disaster occurred on the dugway to his ranch on Horse Creek about a quarter mile east of the highway and perhaps twelve miles south of Jackson.

Mr. Ross was engaged at the time in breaking a snowroad from his ranch home to the highway that the children might go to school the next morning.

The team he was driving was hitched only to a pair of double-trees upon which he was riding in order to pack down the snow. Another team, hitched to a sleigh and hayrack, was following immediately behind, driven by Mrs. Ross.

As they paused for a minute to wind the horses, they talked back and forth about snowslides because they could see where one had run farther down the dugway. Mr. Ross remarked that if another slide were to run in that vicinity, the most logical place would be right where they were resting.

And it was just at that moment that Mrs. Ross screamed as the slide came down in a blinding crash. With only a split-second's warning, Mr. Ross jumped below his team of horses for protection and the three were swept away together.

They were caught by only the edge of the slide and it was thought by Mrs. Ross that had her husband jumped back toward her instead, his life might not have been taken. Her own team barely escaped because they reared back on the sleigh tongue, it was that close.

The slide was not considered particularly large although it was perhaps 100 yards in width, but it attained great lethal force when it dropped over a twenty-foot precipitous cut-bank created by the dugway.

Mrs. Ross immediately began a frantic search for her husband, digging in the snow and joined in the effort by their faithful dog. But the task was too great and she hurried to the highway for help. There with the aid of a passing jeep, she sped to the nearby George Robertson home where her husband's brother, Loyal, was also.

With the aid of Clarence Blain, Otto Leisinger, and other members of the state highway department, the search was continued. After about two and one half hours, it was Loyal who came upon the body of his brother, finding first one of his feet.

Besides the wife, survivors, include five children, Dick, 12; Vanie, 10: Bertigene, 8; Elena, 4; and Dorothy, 18 months. He is also survived by his mother, Mrs. O. E. Swan, of Sterling, Colorado; a sister, Mrs. Elmer Getty, Whitehall, Montana; and brothers Garth Ross, Shady Cove, Oregon; Keith Ross, Sterling, Colorado, and Loyal, who resides in Jackson Hole.

Harold Ross was born in Sterling, Co., September 16, 1916, and came to Jackson Hole in 1933. Mrs. Ross is the former Louise (Jackie) Jump, daughter of Torn Jump of Kelly.

Mr. Ross was one of the sturdy young ranchers of Jackson Hole, respected for rugged honesty and fair dealing by his neighbors. By devoted effort and hard labor, he was making a secure future for his wife and young children. They must not be forgotten by the people of Jackson Hole.

Funeral services will be held at Legion Hall in Jackson, Saturday afternoon, February 19, at one o'clock, with burial at Elliott cemetery near Wilson.

Because of deep snow, it is planned to travel the long three quarters of a mile from the highway to the cemetery by skis, snowshoes and toboggan.

Residents Recall Other Snowslides on the Pass

Many of the earlier residents will recall the slide that took the life of Owen Curtis, a young man, while packing the mail from Victor to Jackson in about the year 1911. He was caught by a small break-off or dump slide at the watering hole on the road above Bircher's sawmill on the Victor side of the Pass. It was understood that actually, he died of drowning when press into the small stream there by the snow.

About a year later, Perhaps in 1912 or '13, that Elias Wilson had his narrow escape with a snowslide on Teton Pass. The scene was the twin slide at Bucket Springs on the Jackson Hole side of the pass. Elias was headed for Victor to bring in for burial the body of his brother George's wife, Hattie. George was coming from the other side and the two expected to meet along the road. However, it was to be about ten days before they made contact. Both were detained by rough going in the heavy snows and to top it all off, Elias got himself covered up by the twin snow slides. It may sound strange to say it, but fortunately for Elias, one of his horses was on top of him, and fortunately for both of them, the horse's head was above snowline. Thus encouraged, the fathful friend of man lunged and plunged until he loosened the snow and got some air down ot his master, however, kicking and bruising Elias up the while.

Even so, Elias was almost black from suffocation when he was brought out and to this day has not recovered from the severe beating he took at that time.

In more recent years young Harry Swanson, brother to Lars Swanson, former night marshal of Jackson was killed by a terrific snowslide at Crater Lake. He had been camped with his father just on the western side of the small stream there and on the south of the road, while cutting timber.