Budweiser International Snow Sculpting Competition 2016

“The Widow Maker”

Breckenridge, Colorado

Did you know the discovery of gold in 1859 on the banks of the Blue River, in Breckenridge, started the town? That discovery brought many people looking to strike it rich. The pneumatic drill increased production by tenfold over the old hand method and allowed tunnels to be drilled and blasted at increasing speeds. Unfortunately, the toil it took on the miner’s health was horrible. The drill received its name the “Widow Maker” due to the large amounts of dust causing silicosis, other lung diseases and death.