The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-10
UNDER SNOW.
The Terrible Avalanche on Thu
Great Northern Road.
Snow to the Depth Of From Fifteen Il
Twenty Five Feet


sroKASK.. wash. Jan. in-FprtheI
particulars Of the APPALLING wreck near
Java, on the Great Northern. have been
received. The train with the snow-plow
and the track-clearing crew was back
ing up TO the camp FOR dinner when Il
was suddenly overwhelmed by the most
enormous avalanche ever known III the
northwest
The mountains, towering from 1000
to 1900 feet above the track. were GOV.
cred with snow 70 d depth Of fifteen
TO Twenty-Five feet Light rains and
high winds had packed the snow into q
solid mass Of ice.
Suddenly aShcnvy report resembling
q peal Of thunder rolling along the
mountain side was heard Almost i'm
stantly an immense mass 81 snow and
Ice broke loose from a lofty altitude
and swept down toward the helpless
crew with the speed Of a cyclone.
The roar was deafening Ms the mass
sped down tho mountain side, carrying
with IL enormous bowldcrs and giant
forest trees The engineer threw open
the throttle with the view ~ pushing
the train MS far from the center Of the
avalanche as The limited time at his
disposal would ptrnit, but this precnu-
iion was Of no avail, as the speed oi
the avalanche was greater than TINT ol
any locomotive.
The avalanche bore down upon the
train, striking II with anch force as IL
carry the locomotive and cars from the
track, landing them on o narrow bench
10 the canyon forty-five feet below. AL.
most instantly tho train and Its crew
were entombed beneath twenty-five feet
Of snow, while huge rocks and timbers
rolled Over thnm.
"A. L. MorIen, the brakeman who was
killed, was standing on top Of the en-
boose when the slide occurred. He was
hurled high Into the mir. and landed
near tho place where the train lodged,
and IL Is supposed that the cnboose
rolled over him. as he was badly
crushed.
It-was ten hours before tho shovelers
reached him, and he was still alive
when taken ont He died during the
day. William ID Freeman, the other
brakeman, was standing on . flAt-car
near the engine, and when the crash
came bounded into the air and was rum
ming toward the spot which d moment
later became the tomb If his comrades
He came into contact with q telegraph
pole, but with miraculous presence 81
mind clasped bis arms about II just be-
low the crossbeams and in some unac-
countable way. the pole withstood the
force OF the slide and the brakeman
came down unhurt
Three Italians were killed and TWEEN
ty-fiye escaped. John Benn, q iineman,
was on the fiat car and was knocked of
ahead Of the train and was killed by
the force Of the shock and the fall The
fireman was thrown from the tender,
where he was at work, and crushed to
death. His name has not been reported
here.
shooting Less Painful Than EiectrlciEy.
HAVANA, Jan 10. Mr.. Toneled. an
American physician. who i visiting
Havana for the purpose Of making q
comparative study Of the various meth
DDS Of execution Of criminals, witnessed
the shooting a few days ago Of Leon
arde Cuevas, the soldier who was con-
demned to death for committing a MUIR
derous assault with q razor upon his
companions. In nm interview subse-
quent 10 tho execution Mr.. Toneled
stated that he was fully convinced
that death BY shooting Is more nearly
instantaneous and less painful than
death by electricity, and that the form
er method Is preferable also because OF
its simplicity.