Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-11-26
TALEs OF SUFFERING

CaBczdes-Nlner8 Lash Themselves TO
Trees to Avoid Being Carried Into the
Canyons by Earth and Snow Slides
Terrible Destruction of Railroad Prop
erty-At StandstiIL
SEATTLE, Wash, Nov. 1s.-Residents
of Seattle and vicinity. who by reason
of the floods and snow have been vir-
tually prisoners in the Businesses OK
the Cascade mountains since Friday
last are coming in, some on train. some
afoot. and others by boat. They tell
narrowing tales of suffering, devasta-
ton and destruction. The situation
as described in these dispatches from
day to day has not been exaggerated
in the least, if. indeed, the fury and
ferceness of the storm has been fully
portrayed.
There has been human suffering,
and no doubt many miners and pros
pectors in the Cascades have been
either drowned or have met death
from snow slides Four prospectors.
headed by Joseph Nicholson, operat..i,,
a claim on the Snoqualimie pass, ar
rived this afternoon. One of the men
is a raving maniac by reason of the
suffering and hardships endured in
their effort to get out of the noun
tains. Saturday night to prevent be.
ing swept down the mountains by
snow slides they dashed themselves
to trees. where they remained
in the drenching rain for six
Or eight hours. Meanwhile great
powders of earth and huge sections OF
snow kept sliding down into the
canyons and gulches below. Trees
were torn up by the roots and carried
away by the avalanche, and the noise
was indescribably horrifying.
At daybreak on Sunday the prospec-
tors tore away the lashings and be-
gan their perilous journey out of the
mountains. They followed Gold creek
to Lake Keechsler, tramping through
snow four and five feet deep,
crossing small streams on logs and
driftwood, finally finding their way
to the point where the Northern Pa
cific crosses the Cascades, and thence
they proceeded down the railroad
track to this city.
Two Seattle business men were
caught at Index Thursday. They
were three days walking IS miles to
Snohomish, crossing small streams by
means of driftwood and the larger
ones in row boats. They report that
the Great Northern west-bound over
land passenger train with Al passen-
gers, due here last Friday morning, is
stalled between Wellington and Madi-
son, owing to great washouts on both
sides. When last heard from II first
class passengers on the train were be-
ing supplied with half rations from
the dining car, while the day coach
I'd ole IN mo
"a Chinese, managed to procure scant
food supplies from Wellington.
The gentlemen giving this informa-
tion say that there are ten washouts
on the Great Northern between Index
and Sullivan, a distance of IA miles;
that on the upper falls of the Snoho-
mish river two bridges are gone, to-
gether with 1000 feet of track.
When the flood was at it's height the
Great Northern line between Monroe
and Snohomish. distance of seven
miles, was inundated to a depth of
from six to fifteen feet. To-day's ad-
vices, however, are to the effect that
the waters of all rivers have receded
except at Snohomish. In the flats
and bottoms, water covered thousands
of acres of rich farm land.
The Great Northern is making no
attempt to run trains, save on the
coast line north to Stanwood. Large
forces of men are now at work on the
coast and main line, but there is little
prospect of early resumption of traffic.
On Saturday night, three minutes af-
ter the Northern Pacific passenger
train from Portland had passed Aims
lee, half mile of track and roadbed
near that place slid into the Cowlitz
river.
The eastern mails due here Satur-
day and Sunday were received to-day,
but there has been none from San
Francisco and the south since last Fri
day night. The Northern Pacific, by
transferring, is now running trains
east from Tacoma, and making steam
err connections from this city to Port
i