The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-19

Seattle and vicinity, who, by reason of
the floods and snow. have been virtu-
alIy prisoners in the fastness of the
Cascade mountains since Friday last,
are coming in, some on gravel trains,
some afoot and others by boat. They
tell narrowing tales of suffering, devas-
tation 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
fierceness of the storm has been fully
portrayed. There has been human SUI
fering, and no doubt many miners and
prospectors in the Cascades have been
either drowned or have met death
from snowslides. Four prospectors,
headed by Joseph Nicholson, operating
claim on the Snoqualmie pass, ar
rived this afternoon. One of the men
is raving maniac by reason of the
suffering and hardships endured in
their effort to get out of the mountains.
Saturday night, in order to prevent be-
ing swept down the mountains by
snowslides, they dashed themselves to
trees, where they remained in the
drenching rain for six or eight hours
Meanwhile, great boulders 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 horrifylng.
At daybreak on Sunday, the prospec-
tors tore away the lashings and began
their perilous journey over the mount
aims. They followed Gold creek to Lake
Keechslos, 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 Pacific crosses the Cas-
cades 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 35 miles to Sno-
homish, crossing small streams by
means of the driftwood and the larger
ones in row boats. They report that
the Great Northern westbound over
land passenger train, with Al pas
SGDSSIS, uuS 1ICA leloI AA0S-J -
is stalled between wellington and
Madison, owing to great washouts on
both sides.
When last heard from. II firstclass
passengers on the train were being sup
piled with half rations from the dining
car, while the day coach and section
class passengers, including "a Chinese,
managed to procure scant food supplies
from Wellington. The gentlemen Civ
ing this information say that there are
ten washouts on the Great Northern
between Index and Sultan, distance
of IA miles: that on the Upper Falls of
the Snohomish river, two bridges are
gone, together with 1,200 feet of track.
When the flood was at its height, the
Great Northern main line between
Monroe and Snohomish, distance of
seven miles, was inundated to depth
of from to Is feet. Today's advices.
however, are to the effect that the
waters of all the rivers have receded
except at Snonomish. In the flats and
bottoms, water covered thousands OF
acres of rich farm lands, leaving MOTH
ing but wreck and ruin behind. The
Great Northern is making no attempt
to run trains, save those on the coast
line north to Stanwood. Large forces
of men are now at work on the coast
and main lines, but there is little pros
pect of an early resumption of traffic.
On Sunday night, three minutes after
the Northern Pacific passenger train
from Portland had passed Ainsle, half
a mile of track and roadbed near that
place slid into the Cowlitz river. The
eastern mails due here Saturday and
Sunday were received today, but there
has been none from San Francisco and
the south since last Friday night. The
Northern Pacific, by transferring, is
now running overland trains east from
Tacoma, and is also making connec-
tions from this city to Portland.