Evening star., 1926-02-18
SO BODIES TAKEN
FROM DEBRIS Of
UTAH AVALANCHE
40 More Believed Buried Un-
der Huge Pile of SnoW-Res-
cue Work Is Underway.
LIVING COUPLE BROUGHT
TO SURFACE; BOTH HURT
100 Men Start Digging in Mass 400
Feet Long, 100 Feet Wide and
Is to 20 Feet Deep.
BY the Associated Press.


BINGHAM. Utah. February 1s.-A
force Of more than 100 men began a
systematic search of the debris at the
foot of sap GulCh this morning under
the direct supervision of Frank A
Nardlaw. superintendent of the Utah
Delaware Mining Co. In this way ii
WAS hoped to recover the bodies of
those still unaccounted for in the
snowslide which yesterday took a
known toll of Sc lives.
approximately 40 others are miss
Ing. Twelve survivors are in the hos
pital. and more than a score received
first-aid treatment. The sun was
shining today and weather conditions
were good for the search.
Beginning at the bottom of the
Eulch, the debris was being moved a
shovelful at time. Splintered boards
the remains OF what was once the
happy homes of a score Of families
and other perishable debris was de
str"yed in bonfire.
Two More Days for Search.
Mr.. Wardlaw said he hoped to dig
down to rock bottom" A space
avera Ging more than 100 feet wide
and at least 400 feet long filled to
an average depth of Is or 90 feet is
covered by the debris, every cubic
foot of which is to be moved.
Night and day shifts will be kept
at work until the entire ground
has been covered. Mr.. Wardlaw said
He estimated two more days will be
required to make this search.
And then we may miss some" "
he said. I'VE may not know the
har Of Nri,
when the snow melts away"
One unidentified body was re-
covered early today.
Only Is of the known dead have
been identified.
Find Two Still Alive.
The rescue workers, numbering
more than so, were spurred on in
their attack upon the debris by the
finding alive of Jimmy Mcdonald and
his wife, owners Of the boarding house,
after more than IA hours imprison-
ment under the wreckage
The McDonalds were brought out
late last night after all hope had
been given UP for those remaining
buried.
Gbb Campbell, miner, first heard
their faint cries coming through the
snow and splintered timbers. Call
ING for aid, he dug and chopped his
way TO them Both We're conscious
Mcdonald, with badly injured hip,
had burrowed his way a distance of
several feet to his wife, who was
pinned into the wreckage by a timber
over her left arm, which was broken.
Every effort has been bent toward
recovering those buried beneath the
debris and succoring injured survi-
vors and those who have been made
homeless.
Slides Two Miles.
The slide began two miles from
the little settlement, more than a
mile above sea level in the Oquirrh
Mountains, when the freshly fallen
snow slipped from its resting place
on an earlier fall that had become
crusted. AS it zigzagged its way
down the canyon it gathered mo-
mentum weight and speed. In it's
path of more than two miles the
avalanche dropped at least 1000 feet.
A mile from the start it passed
over and closed a tunnel mouth. Half
mile farther down it closed still
another. swept a two family dwell
ing from it's foundations and then
made clear leap of more than 100
feet to the thickly settled canyon,
where it eXacted its toll of life and
property and came to a stop at the
very doors of the community church
and the offices of the copper mine
One man, Ed Halvorsen, an occu-
pant of the two-family house, was car
ried on the crest of the avalanche a
distance of half a mile and only
slightly injured. His wife is among
the missing.
Fear Other Slides.
bathtub and wash basin in the
Baitia home saved little Couchita and
Johnnie Baitia, and 2ta years, re-
spectively. Their mother and baby
boy are among the recovered dea d,
and a sister is missing. The father,
John. was in the mine and was among
the rescue workers that, after six
hours tirelesS effort. eXtricated the
two surviving members of his family.
While the rescue work was in prog
rerSs, DIR. +. +. Straup, county physi-
clan and mayor of Bingham, called an
emergency meeting of the town board
TO take action toward relieving the
suffering of the homeless.
There will be no inquest. nor will
there he any official investigation, au-
thorities said.
Two previous snowslides in Sap
Gulch each took tolls of three lives
one of these was in 1889, the other
about six years ago.
Fearing that another slide might oc-
cur, Superintendent Wardlaw detailed
two squads of men to patrol Frisco
Gulch, adjoining Sap Gulch. The men
are armed with Shotguns and are in
Structed to fire three Volleys in the
event the snow begins to move.
Aids i'm Sending News.
Whole hearted cooperation on the
part of Supt. Wardlaw enabled the
Associated Press speedily to reach the
outside world with the authentic in
formation of the snow slide which
took such a heavy toll of lives.
The scene of the disaster is 80
miles from Salt Lake City and more
than two miles up the canyon from
bingham.
This trip can only be made by sled
or horseback. The slide stopped within
% feet of the rear door of the com
pany Office building. Mr.. Wardlaw
turned his private office in this build
ing over to the Associated Press.
Half an hour after the staff mar
of the Associated Press reached the
scene, the wire connecting the tele
graph key in Mr.. Wardlaw's Office
directly with the overland wire be
tween San Francisco and Kansas
city was carrying the account OF
it'y.,t.nued on Page >, Column ~