April 3rd of 1898 would go down in Alaska History as the deadliest day in the Klondike Gold Rush.

It was a day of multiple avalanches caused by the heavy snowfalls that occurred in February and March of that year, as well as warm southerly winds occurring in the area.

On the morning of the 3rd, large widespread slides began sweeping the area, prompting workers and miners to evacuate the slopes.

As they descended from the scales to Drow-a-low, an avalanche thundered down the ravine, sweeping workers to their deaths.

Stampeders, oblivious to the devastating deaths of the workers just prior, continued their descent, following the workers’ fading tracks.

200 Stampeders entered the ravine intent on exiting the slope. As a third of the Stampeders proceeded into the ravine, the slope gave up its snow again and swallowed up the trekkers.

All traffic over the trail came to a halt as rescue operations went on for the next four days. The total number of deaths that occurred on that day and the next will never be known, but 65 were confirmed dead from the fury of the slopes of the Chilkat Trail.

  1898, Alaska, avalanches, chilkoot pass, gold rush, history