The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-01-17
& Snow Storm.

SALT LAKE, Otah, jap, 10. Snow has
fallen almost continuously in Wahsatch
about the heads of the Little and Big Cot
tonwoods since Christmas The mount
aims surrounding the mining town of Alta
are steep and hieh. and the trees have
been cut off; the tramway sheds of the
Wahsatch IL Jordan Valley railroad have
been swept away in several places for FIVE
miles below Alta, rendering ingress and
egress almost impossible. Two weeks ago
snow slide carried away a man rs @ ed
Darby. The continuous storm increased in
fury with the opening of last week. We'd
uesday night snow tell in sheets and the
wind became hurricane. About ten
O'Clock snow slide carried away the flag
staff of the Ore House, also four
| hundred feet of railroad sheds, and swept
across the fiat and creek to the opposite
mountain. Later another slide passed
over the Victoria and the Imperial House
burying two msn, who dug their way out
in ten hours; continuing it swept away the
Grizzly boarding house in which vas Mr..
Jonathan Hsskins and four children
Charles Symons. Robert Howath and
Evan Morris. Of these Mrs. Haskins and
her daughter Jane, Howath and Morris
were killsd. Another slide smashed and
buried the Toledo Works and boarding
house, killing Barbridge and Frank La
porte Tuesday and Friday work was
stopped at the principal mine, aud many
OF the men left the canyon for the valley;
the storm continued and increased
lin fury, the wind blowing Q gale and
piIiug snow just over tbs crest of the hill
north of Alta, on the Alta side; the great
weight started another slide. half a mile
wide Friday night. which would haYe
completely demolished Alta. but that it
was split and partially diverted by the fat
area Just above the head of Main street,
il stuck largely heavily built stone store,
in which FIVE men had gathered for shell
ter, two sleeping in the second story were
thrown out comparatively unh1rt, three
had taken refuge 10 the basement and
built 4 fire. John Fitzgerald. F. r Lee
and William Hollingshead; the house. was
crushed in oD them anu fired from the
stove. aud they perished. Richard VIII
liams and John Washington. who remained
to look after the JoaD Lawrence property,
with instructions to sleep In the tunnel,
are missing. The avalanche swept away
every building owned ty the Joab Law
renee Company. together with their tram
way. lnaictiDg a Ioss of $40, 900 1t buried
the Buffalo House, but three men who had
retired into the tunnel were rescued ex~
nAU5teu. ItltS pEOp.C QONu IdSL
night, leaving about twenty, who, for
various reasons. could BOT get away. The
trip down was fearful. Leaving their
homes with nothing but the clothes on
| their backs. women wallowed through the
snow as hest they could, the men carrying
the children, there remains enough noun
tain slope stiii undeuuded to complete
destruction OF the town and il may slide
any smomeDt; miles of the upper big
Cottonwood are said to bs one huge
slide covering everything: big slide in
Mayfeld guIch mas blocked the creek for
400 yards and made quite q slide; while
there is no less of life yet reported from
the Big Cottonwood. miners are leaving
the canyon as fact as possible. When the
snow becomes deep aud heavy on those
steep mountain slopes 30 avalanche may be
started by party wading across their
face or by concussion, somstimee blast
far under ground will do it.