Daily globe., 1881-01-17
SNOW SLIDES.
A Succession of Disasters in the Wahstock
Valley, Utah-A Number of Persons
Killed and Large Amount of Property
Destroyed.

| A Succession oil disasters III thc ""AS'oeA
| Valley, Utah-A Number of Persons
Killed and a Large Amount of Property
Destroyed.
SALT LAKE, Utah, Jan. 16.-Snow has faller
almost continuously in the Wahstock, abou,
the heads of the Little and Big Cottonwoods
| since Christmas. The mountains surrounding
the mining town of Alta are steep and high
and the trees have been cut off. The tramway
sheds of the Wahstock & Jordan Valley rail
road have been swept away in several places fol
five miles below Alta, rendering ingress OF
egress almost impossible. Two weeks ago snow
slides carried away man named Derby. The
continuous storm increased in fury with the
opening of last week and Wednesday snow fell
in sheets and the wind become q hurricane.
About 10 o'clock q snow-slide carried away
the flagstaff of the ore house and four hundred
feet of the railroad sheds, and swept across
Another slide passed over Victoria and Imperi-
al house, burying two men who dug their way
ont in ten hours. Continuing it swept away
the Grizzly boarding house in which was Mr..
Jonathin Hoskins and four children, c. Simons,
Robt. Howarth and Evan Morris. Of these
Mrs. Hoskins and daughter, Jane Howarth
and Morris were killed. Another slide
smashed and buried the Toledo works and
boarding house, killing Chas Boerbidge and
Frank Laporte. Thursday and Friday work
was stopped at the principal mine and many
of the men left the canyon for the valley. The
storm continued and increased in fury, the
wind blowing gale and piling the snow just
over the crest of the hill north of Alta on the
Alta side. The great weight started another
slide half mile Friday night, which would
have completely demolished Alta but that it
was split and partially diverted by the fiat area
Just above the head main street it struck a
large heavily built stone store in which fire.
men had gathered in for safety; two sleeping
in the second story were thrown out compare
lively unhurt Three had taken refuge in the
basement, and built a fire, John Fitzgerald, T.
B. Lee and William Hollingshead. The house
was crushed in on them and fired from the
stove. and they perished. Richard Williams
and John Washington, who remained to look
after the Joab Lawrence property with instruc-
tions to sleep in the tunnel, are missing. An
avalanche swept away every building owned
by the Jacob Lawrence company, together
with their tramway, in1icting loss Of $40, 900.
1t buried the Buffalo house. But three men
had retired into the tunnel and were rescued
exhausted. Fifty people came down last night,
leaving, about twenty who for various reasons
could not get away. The trip down was fear,
full. Leaving their homes with nothing but
the clothes on their backs, women wallowed
through the snow as best they could, the men
carrying the children. There re-
mains enough mountain slopes
still undenuded to complete the destruction of
the town land it may slide any moment. Eight
miles of the upper Big Cottonwood are said to
be one hugh slide covering everything. A big
slide in Mayfield Gulch has blocked the creek
for 400 yards and made quite a lake. While
there is no loss of life yet reported from the
Big Cottonwood, the miners are leaving the
comes deep and heavy on the sides and top of
the mountain slopes, an avalanche may be
started by party wading across their face or
by concussion. Sometimes a blast far under
ground will do it.