The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-22
SIX BODIES ARE
DUG FROM SNOW
Remains of Victims Who Per-
ished in Slide at Alta
Recovered.
WERE BURIED TWENTY
FIVE FEET BY AVALANCHE
Brought Down to Sandy, Where
They Now Lie in the
City Hall.


After many hours of frantic toll on the
part Of a large band Of Alta miners. tho
bodies of the six victims who suffered
death I'm the awful snowslide at that
camp Saturday morning were uncovered
and Sunday afternoon brought to Sandy.
where they lie I'm the city hall awaiting
funeral arrangements by friends and
relatives, Following are the names,
ages and. go far has been ascertaincd,
the places of residences OF the dead;
Names of Victims.
BENNETT. ALBERT aged 25; camo
from Santaquin. Utah: history unknown.
cLAYBoURNE. GEORGE. aged so;
mother resides in Salt Lake.
ERICKSON. JOHN, aged 26 Riverton,
Salt Lake county.
GRAY, JOHN, aged IS; stranger from
MURPHY. JERRY. aged IS miner,
POWELL. WILLIAM. aged Is, Sandy.
boarding house keeper
Four Strangers in Camp.
Powell was In charge of the boarding
house conducted In the camp by Mrs
was n miner employed by the Columbus
Consolidated Mining company. The re-
naming victims were strangers who had
come TO the camp seeking work.
SdlJl6 III Oeau OIL
In the dead Of night, while all the vic
down the mountain-side without mo-
ments warning. sweeping away the
clearinghouse referred to and the sa-
loon OF Ross Armburst the adjoining
building Gray and Murphy were sleep
Ing in the saloon; the other victims were
in their hunks at the boarding-house.
Three Buried, but Escape,
Armburst. the proprietor OF the saloon:
]. Lee and John Baker were sleeping in
that portion OF the saloon which escaped
the heaviest portion OF the slide. and by
some freak Of chance they escaped death.
although they were buried In from three
TO six feet of snow ArmburSt. who SAYS
that when he was awakened he found
himself out OF his bed and cntombcd In
drift. was the first 10 recover himself.
Toiled for Hours Unclothed.
Although clad in nothing but his night
shirt without even a pair Of socks as
protection from the icy drifts. ATmburst
probed the snow until he found Lee and
Baker who, though buried. were Still
alive. and assisted them I'm digging their
way out. Then these three brave men,
with only their night garments TO pro-
tect them from the storm, which at that
hour-2 o'clock Saturday morning-was
raging lerccly worked for hours In an
effort TO locate the other victims, All
suffered greatly. and Bakers feet were
badly frozen.
Realized Awful Fate.
There was nothing visible of the board
ing house, which was in the direct path
OF the slide The saloon was demolished
but not entirely buried. Knowing that
the men who were sleeping in the board
ing house must be entombed, the three
who had escaped worked on the snow
and storm until human nature could
bear no more exposure. Then they sought
shelter, borrowed clothing and. as soon
as they had partly recovered, aroused
the miners of the Columbus Consolidated.
9TH n
and soon more than fifty men were un-
dertaklng the work Of finding the VIC
Tins.
Were Deeply Buried.
Although the slide. which came from
the Ruster HILL on the south side OF the
canyon had travelled nearly half a mile
before finding its victims, IT seemed TO
spend its force at the point where the
buildings were struck. as the avalanche
did not so farther across the fiat. The
rescung force began work at Z clock.
last victim had been uncovered, the
bodies being buried from ten TO twenty
five feet In the hard packed snow.
Probably Quick Death
There were no evidences that the uo-
fortunate men had had time or oppor-
With the destruction of the boarding
house they had been swept out OF their
hunks by the onrushing mountain or
snow. and they seemed 10 have quickly
the lack of air.
Cut OFF From the World.
All day Saturday the storm ragged. There
was Imminent danger of other slides, the
telephone wires were down and, although
strenuous efforts were made by those IN
terested to reach the camp, II was I'M
possible TO do 80. Not until sunday
noon did four-horse sleigh, driven by
L. F. Des Paines, start from the camp
bearing the bodies OF those who had lost
their lives Mr. Dcs Paines reached
Sandy at o'clock Sunday, where the
dead were laid out In the city hall pend
ing word from relatives.
Probably No Inquest.
County Attorney Christensen and Sher-
IN Encrv were in communication with
Sandy last night and decided TO go out
this morning and make an official inNeS-
tigation, although II Is not probable that
an inquest by the Coroner VIII be deemed
necessary. ,
stable owned by John Stillweh' was IN
the path OF the slide, hence the property
loss Is small
Manager Tony Jacobson OF the Coium-
bus Consolidated mine. who made tuthe
efforts SATURDAY, TO reach the scene or
the disaster but was compelled 10 turn
hack with two miles vet 20 go. said last
nipht that his company expected 10 huv"
telephone communication with Ata re-
established by this evening.
Captain Shoots Himself.
oWENSBoRO, Ky, Jan. 2L-CaPt:
Charles 4. LUZ who recently retireG
,rom the United States army while pack
ing his grip In hotel here tonight acci-
JcntnIlv shot himself In the abdomen. In