The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-26
DEATH DEALT
BY AVALANCHE
Snowsiids in Bingham Canyon
Crushes Miner.
LONG SEARCH FOR THE BODY
REMAINS OF VICTIM DUG OUT
By COMRADES YESTERDAY.
I AMEs cuNNINGHAM. a nine

T AMES CUNNINGHAM, a miner
employed in the Rob Roy tunnel
y IL Bingham canyon. met death last
Thursday beneath an avalanche OF
snow that crashed down the mountain
side, carrying destruction in its path
The body of the unfortunate miner
was buried beneath some twenty-five
feet of snow and il was only recovered
late Saturday night. The slide was
one Of the largest ever seen IN the can
yOn and was the FIRST one ever known
to have occurred in the immediate Vi
einity of the Rob Roy mine
Cunningham left his cabin shortly
before time to go on shift in the tunnel
and started up the mountain side
gotten only short distance up the
steep slope when there was a crash
and roar.
A small mountain of snow had brOk-
en- from its moOring at the crest of the
ridge and was on its destructive course
down the mountain side. The field Of
moving snow and ice gathered in
speed and size as it rushed on Brush
and rocks were gathered up by il and
hurled along down the slope. SO
swiftly did the slide travel that Gun
bingham could not get away and he
was caught in the flying mass Down
he was carried 10 the bottom OF the
gulch ana the wall Of snow and debris
piled upon him, 0uryiDg him beneath
its depths
Ignorant of His Fate.
The slide was Witnessed by some Of
the miners, but they did not know that
one of their number had been caught
in its deadly embrace. Not until the
shift came in and Cunningham was
discovered TO be missing did anyone
suspect the fate he had met. Miners
with their picks and shovels started
out on a search. Tunnels were dug
through the snow and excaV Nations were
made. but the body could not be found
All that day the miners worked, but
not a trace of the missing man could
be found. On Friday the work was
renewed and a ditch through the
snow 100 feet long was dug. but still
there was no sign of the remains.
On Saturday work was again COM
menced on the pile of snow and late
that night the body, bruised and froz-
en- was found at the bottom of the
gulch in the hard-packed snow. The
remains were removed and carried to
the cabin where he had lived, and a
telephone message was sent yesterday
morning TO Manager William Ochs in
this city. apprising him of the slide
and its fatal consequences. Mr.. Ochs
win go out 10 the mine this morning
and probably bring the remains of the
miner 10 this city.
Si4Gae Causes Uneasiuess.
The cause OF the slide is attributed
TO the thaW Of a few days ago and
the subsequent snow. After the thaw
a coating of ice frOze over the noun
( tain side and another snow fell This
reached a depth of some three or four
feet The ice being too slippery to
hold the coating of snow, its own
weight precipitated the avalanche
Cunningham, so far as is known,
was a single man and came from some
place in Kentucky. He has a brother
working in Georgetown, Colo, and a
message has been sent him telling him
. of the death. Arrangements for the
funeral will not be made until ne is
/ heard from.
The slide has caused considerable IN
easiness among the miners in that Vi
| cinity, because of the fact that no
slides had ever occurred there before,
and there IS fear of more of them. In
/ the last few weeks several slides have
occurred a little further up the can
| yon, but no particular damage re-
suited from them. The frequency OF
them in q district that heretofore has
been free from such avalanches causes
considerable anxiety.