The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-22
The Noted Engineer Who Lo-
Gated the Great Northern.
He FOUND THE STEVENS PASS.
A Man and Woman Drowned With
Him, i'll the Columbia River.
Their Skfh Sucked Into q whirlpool
Near the Mouth of the Nethow-
The story of the search for Low

Waterville. May Special-wori
was received this morning of the drown
ing of &. +. h. Haskell, ". A Barton and
Mrs Powell. wife of Mr.. HaskeiFs asso-
c.ate in the conduct OF the government
survey OF the Columbia river. The acci-
dent occurred at 6;20 O'Clock last even
iaS at point on the river A short dis
tance below the mouth of the Methoyv
The three came up The river on the G m
er EllenSburg ana under took 70 row from
Eliensourg 10 government steamer in a
skill The hoat was caught IN a whirlpool
and drawn under. Mrs. Powell was
thrown out and the men clung 10 the
boat In a few minutes the boat was
again drawn under and the men never
appeared. The current carried Mrs. Pow
ell near shore but before assistance could
reach her she disappeared. Several per-
sons witnessed the catastrophe. but were
unable 10 render aid. All the persons
drowned were from Wenatchee.
Wenatchee. May 2l.-Special.- l.-Mr. Bar
ton was a pioneer resident OF the We
natchee valley. He was engaged with
Mr.. HaskelPs crew on the river work
Ar. Barton leaves a wife and two little
children. who are now with friends In
town. Mrs. ". r. Powell was brought
to Wenatchee a bride just one year ago.
and has since resided here. loved hv all
who met her. The blow comes d0trhlv
hard on Mrs. Barcrcft. mother of Hirs.
Powell. and mother-in-law OF Mr.. Bar
ton.
business in Wenatchee is al n stand
still. The icy waters Of the Columbia are
cIosely watched for the missing peouIe.
Inc entire town is.in mourning. None
or the bodies have been recovered Vet
and there is small hope that they ever
Will.
c: F. B. Haskell did much in the explo-
ration OF the Cascade range, and was the
discoverer of Stevens pass. through which
the Great Northern cuts its way west
ward 10 Puget sound. 1t Is to such men
as Mr.. Haskell that the chief credit for
the building of the great highway of com
merce belongs, though he was always
slow to claim it, and talked OF 1t as
though Il were an ordinary performance
The history of the discovery of the pass
is interesting, especially al this time
when the discoverer has passed from this
earth.
Chief Engineer Z. Fl Becker and his
assistant John +. Stevens. spent much
time in exploring the Cascade mountains
for the purpose of locating short feas-
lbIe route, with satisfactory srades and
short tunnels. Many of the known passes
were visited. and in nearly all this work
c. F. b. Haskell was employed, being
recognized as a competent engineer and A
hardy mountaineer. MIR. Stevens had
spent much time in the known passes
when his attention was called by Mr
Becker to a fact which he had already
noticed-the lack of information in re-
gard to the mountains streams and
passes to the south of Cady pass. Mr.
Haskell was then started up Mason
creek, branch of the Wenatcfee, with
instructions 10 explore the mountains at
and near its source. Accompanied by one
packer and carrying provisions and
blankets on his back. he went up this
stream. No trail led up the valley. and
there was no sign that any human being,
white or Indian, had ever penetrated the
forest which bordered it. II was one day
I'm July or August. 1890. that he and his
companion stood on the summit of the
range. and. looking TO the south. saw a
gap in the line of Jagged peaks where the
heads of two canyons were divided by
only a narrow ridge. one of them on the
east and the other on the west. They
descended 10 the spot, and. after satisfy
ing himself that II was a practical pass
for railroad Mr. Haskell carved the
name stevens pass" on a tree which
stood exactly on the divide, as a tribute
to his immediate superior. But they did
not vet know atther the valley to the
west led. so they started to trace II down,
a
not a sign that a human being nad ever
been there There was not an AK mark
on tree nor the embers OF a campfire.
After they had reached a point where
Berlin station now is. they found a
beaver dam stretching into the river, a
broad, rushing mountain stream, along
which theil path lay. populated. seem
inglv OF 100 beavers. This OF Itself was
nretfy good evidence that no man had
travelled that valley before. The first
settlement they reached was index. where
thew learned that the river had been
traced down the south fork OF the sky
ko-nish There they took 20 a canoe and
went down 70 Sultan.
Mr. Haskell reported his discovery, and
a through investigation Of the route was
ordered with the result that II was found
10 be the best crossing OF the mountains.
1,ttt, the lowest pass. shortest tunnel,
bae+ grades and shortest distance Mr..
pacl-iar and Nr Stevens went NJ Mason
,,rsel and over the pass on horseback on
October ~ 1e90, follwing a tran whieh
b.d beau cut by their own men ana came
,9ov-r bv the same route as Mr.. Haskell
IT, s,,rzav was begun through the cas-
casas in the same month. and by Febro-
-. 1eat The preliminary line was prac-
.tc,l,- established throughout After INC
.,D,-,etion OF the railroad Mr.. Haskfll
.a1r nm ranch near Wenatchee ana
.,-,.n5 :. into beautiful home. A. the
-, - his death he had nearly compietei
s,-vev Of the Columbia river Tor me
government. He leaves wi'e ana ehiiu'
cFS. COGSwELL Is DEAD.
-. n D.