Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-01-17

SALT LAKE CITY, January 16.-Snow has
fallen almost continuously in the Wahsatch
Mountains, about the heads OF the Little
and Big Cottonwood rivers, since Christmas.
The mountains surrounding the mining
town Of Alta are very steep and the trees
have been cut of the mountain side. The
tramwsy sheds Of the W'ahsatch and Jordan
Valley Railroad have been swept away in
several places for five miles below Alta,
rendering ingress and egress almost impos.
sible. Two weeks ago a snow slide
carried away q man named Darby. The
storm increased In fury with the opening OF
last week. On Wednesday night the snow
fell In sheets and the wind became a hurri-
cane. About 10 o'clock a slide carried
away the flagstaff, ore house, four hundred
feet OF the railroad sheds, aud swept across
the fat and creek to the opposite mountain.
LATER.-Another slide passed over the
Victoria and Imperial Houses, burying two
men, who dug their way out in ten hours.
Continuing, it swept away the Grizzly
boarding house, in which were Mrs. Jonathan
Haskins and four children, Chas. Simons,
R9bt. Howsth and Evan Morris. OF these
Mrs. Haskins and her daughter Jane,
HOwath and Morris, were killed. Another
slide smashed and buried the Toledo works
and boarding house, killing Charles Bar
bridge and Frank Laporte.
On Thursday and Friday work was stop
ped at the principal mines, and many of
the men left the canon for the valley. The
storm continued and increased in fury, the
wind blowing gale and piling the snow
just off the crest of the hill north of Alta on
the Alta side. The great weight started
another slide half a mile wide on
Friday night, which would have
completely demolished Alta but that
by the fat area just above the head of
Main street. II struck large and heavily
built stone store, In which five men had
gathered for safety. Two of them, who
were sleeping in the second story, were
thrown out, but were comparatively unhurt
Three had taken refuge IN the basement
aud built fire, namely: John Fitzgerald,
z. b. Lee and Wm. Hollingshead. The
house was crushed In on them, and fired
frCm the stove, and they perished.
Richard Williams and John Washington,
who remained to look after the Joab Law
renee property, with Instructions to sleep
in the tunnel, are missing. The avalanche
swept away every building owned by the
Joab Lawrence Company, together with
their tramway, infllctiug loss of SIC, 600.
1t buried the Buffalo House, but three men
ud0 EGLtiGO AnlO tue lQIDCl anu were ESScUCu
exhausted.
Fifty people came down last night, leaving
about twenty, who for various reasons could
not get away. The trip down was fearful.
Leaving their homes with nothing but the
clothes on their backs, the women wallowed
through the snow as best they could, the
men carrying the children.
There remains enough mountain slope
still undenuded to complete the destruction
of the town, and 1t may slide at any
moment. Eight miles Of the upper B'g
Cottonwood are said to be one huge slide,
covering everything.
a big slide in MaYtield Gulch has blocked
the creek for four hundred yards and made
quite lake.
While there is no loss OF life yet reported
from Big Cottonwood, the miners are leav-
ing the canon as fast as possible.
When the snow becomes deep aud heavy
on the steep mountain slopes an avalanche
may be started by party wading scross
their face or by conclusion. Sometimes a
blast from under ground Will do 1t.