11 August 2010

New Research Uncovers Five Japanese Survivors of 1910 Rogers Pass Avalanche

A picture of Rogers Pass avalanche accident scene.

Revelstoke British Columbia - (Editor's note:  New information uncovered since press time indicates there were as many as five Japanese survivors of the 1910 Rogers Pass avalanche, not four as written in the 11 Aug 2010 issue of the Times Review.)
 
New information has come forward indicating that there may have been as many as five Japanese workers that survived the 1910 Rogers Pass avalanche.
 
The information, provided by researcher Tomoaki Fujimura, indicates that Takashi Nishiyama, Heikichi Sakai, Kikutaro Hamano, a Mr. Hamano, and Mr.Sato survived the avalanche.
 
The information is entirely based on a story from Tairiku Nippo (Continental News), a Japanese-language newspaper in Vancouver.
 
The story also reveals information about the survivors. Nishiyama, Mr. Hamano, and Sato were Japanese gang leaders at the Rogers Pass work site.
 
Nishiyama's gang was based at Field Station before the accident. He was fully buried when the avalanche occurred but he managed to dig himself out to his waist when two caucasian workers grabbed his coat to pull him out of the snow.
 
Sakai was working in Sato's gang, which was based at Arrowhead Station. He was born in either 1890 or 1895 in Shizuoka prefecture in Japan. He was buried above his waist when the avalanche occurred. Sato survived because he was taking a break due to sickness when the avalanche occurred.
 
Both Hamanos were in the same gang, which was based at Rogers Pass Station. Hamano was buried to his waist when the avalanche occurred. Kikutaro was born in 1884 in Yamaguchi prefecture. He lost one of his gloves while he was working. The second avalanche occurred when he went back to Rogers Pass Station to get his spare gloves, so he luckily was out of the avalanches path.
 
Fujimura didn't even know there were Japanese survivors until he discovered the article in the newspaper. None of the Canadian reports about the avalanche showed the information regarding Japanese survivors.
 
Fujimura believes the information is reliable because it was reported in the mainstream Japanese newspaper in Vancouver.