The Nespelem tribune. [volume] (Nespelem, Wash.) 1934-1936, 1935-02-06
MINER BURIED
BY SNOW SLIDE
NEAR WINTHROP
Body Of James Hunter Recover
ed; Other Lives Are
Endangered
Pair Are Rescued
Two Women Saved After Harrow
ing Experience In Upper
Methow
Pair Are Rescued

oAAS<S0, A00A LAB NOWAc 4AO4Ak L4AC AA4O044-
tain sides in the Slate Greek region,
last week claimed the life of one
miner and marooned several others
in cabins which at times threatened
to become death traps.
The body of James H. Hunter,
53-year-old Seattle miner, was
found Thursday under six feet of
snow near spring where he had
gone after pail of water early in
the week. Caught in a sudden ava
lanche of snow. he was instantly
buried and died of suffocation.
Efforts to rescue him were made
futile by the shifting snow and
made the work, extremely denger-
GUS.
Mrs. Rufus Blevins and Mrs. A. G..
Maddox, who arrived here from
Mazana, told the details Of their
narrowing experience with the
slides.
Heavy Snowfall
They said that between eight and
nine feet of snow fell in the Slate
creek region during the heavy
storm, the most coming Sunday
night. The slide early Monday
morning, coming against the Mad
dock cabin, broke the windows and
cascaded in about four feet cover
ing the women who were sleeping
in the room at that end Of the
building.
They were Immediately rescued
and managed to reach the Hunter
Cabin TO stay there until their own
was repaired, which Maddox and
Blevins did during the morning.
In the meantime Hunter decided
to go to the spring, some 200 yards
distant, for water. He remarked that
he would break good trail with
his Snowshoes. He was urged not to
go and warned that it would be
dangerous 10 travel even so short a
way.
About noon when Maddox and
Blevins returned after repairs were
completed on the other cabin, Hunt
er had been missing several hours.
They found his tracks leading into
the wing of large slide. While one
man dug the other watched the
snow mass. After two hours, when
they had dug about ten feet, the
Slide began to shift and they were
forced to give up their search.
Rain Causes New Slides
The weather grew warmer and
rain began to fall. Slides all
around began to roar. The five
persons were marooned in the
cabin, hardly daring to step off the
porch and waiting tensely for their
shelter to be carried away and their
lives Snuffed out.
Days passed and the cabin re-
manned. At last on Saturday the
five believed the slides had slack
ened sufficiently to give them q
chance to reach the settlements
with the news.
They set out, Mrs. Maddox
wearing skis for the first time. So
slow were they forced to travel
over the unbroken trails and slides,
so tense and nervous for fear of
bringing an avalanche upon them,
that at one point only four miles
we're made in nine hours. Saturday
night was spent in the open and
the next day it was decided that
Mr.. and Mrs. Blevins hurry on
while Mr.. Maddox would stay with
his wife and Mrs. White. Food was
getting low and the women were
Ill from nervousness. Leaving their
companions a short distance above
Dead Horse Point the Blevins
reached Robinson Greek Sunday
afternoon. The others spent an
other night on the trail and got in
Monday morning, one week after
the catastrophe at the mine.
The women said that the whole
Slate Greek country had slid and
again expressed fears for Charles
Kikendall and John Dad" Helms
ut the latter's claims. The search
ing party of six men, with the
owners of the Mammoth, will look
~, <rv,,