Mr. Powell miraculously survives colliery snow slide
Published October 4, 2026 at 7:43 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
During a severe winter in the Salt Lake Valley, a snow slide struck a house in Mill Creek Kanyon where three men were living. One man, who was away at the time, heard the noise and returned to find an immense bank of snow where the house had been. After digging, they found the body of Mr. Glover, who had been killed by the falling chimney. They also found Mr. Powell, who was alive after being trapped under the roof on his face beneath the snow for four or five hours, having sustained only bruises.
In Their Own Words
“An avalanche or snow slide came down the mountain in Mill Creek Kanyon, on the 19th inst., near A. Gardner’s new mill which is now erecting, burying in its course a house where three men resided, one of which had gone fortunately a short distance down the Creek; on hearing the crashing noise, he returned and found in the place of the house, an immense bank of snow. Having nothing to dig with, he hastened down the Creek, three miles for help. After clearing away the snow, they found the body of Mr. Glover, having his skull broke in, part of the chimney having fallen upon him. Also found Mr. Powell, who fortunately escaped with some bruises, having lain on his face under the snow four or five hours, with part of the roof on him. — Millennial Star 15:25”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 18 June 1853 (Vol. 15, No. 25). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1853-06-18_15_25 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high)
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