The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-19
GREAT FLOODS
IN WASHINGTON
The Residents Of Seattle Flee to the
Mountains.
THE EXPERIENCE OF PROsPEcr0Rs
They Lash Themselves to Trees
While the Snow Slides Down the
Mountalns..One Man Becomes a
Ravins Maniac by Reason Of the
Suffering Endurcd..A Train Stalled

seattle, wash, NOV. lS.-ReSluentS OF
Seattle and vicinity who by reason of
the floods and snow have been virtual
ly prisoners in the Fastness of the Cas-
cade mountains since Friday last, are
coming In, some on gravel trains, some
afoot and Others by boat. They tell
narrowing tales of suffering. devasta-
tion and destruction. The situation rs
described in the dispatches from day
to day has not been exaggerated in the
least. II indeed, the fury Of the storm
has been fully portrayed. There has
been human suffering, and no doubt
many miners and prospeCtOrs in the
Cascades have been either drowned or
have met death from snow slides.
Four prOspectOrs. headed by Joseph
Nicholson, arrived this afternoon. One
of the men Is a raving maniac by rea-
son of the suffering and hardships en-
dured in their effort to get out of the
mountains. Saturday night to prevent
being swept down the mountains by
snow slides they lashed 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 horrifying. At day
break on Sunday the prospectors tore
away the lashings and began their per-
ilous journey out of the mountains.
They followed Gold Creek to Lake
Keescher, tramping through snow
streams on logs. finally finding their
way to the point where the Northern
Pacific crosses the Cascades and thence
they proceeded down the railroad track
to this city. They were three days.
walking thirty-tive miles, crossing
small streams by means Of driftwOOd
and the larger ones in row boats. They
report that the great Northern west
bound overland passenger train with
forty-one passengers due here last Fri
day morning, Is stalled between Well
lington and Madison. owing to great
washouts on both sides.
A TRAIN STALLED.
When last heard from twelve first
class passengers on the train were be-
ing supplied with half rations from the
dining car, while the day coach and
second class passengers, including
twenty-four Chinese, managed to pro-
cure scant food supplies from Welling-
ton. The gentlemen giving this infOr-
nation say that there are ten wash
outs on the Great Northern between
Index and Sultana, a distance Of four
teen miles; that on the upper falls Of the
Skohomoish river two bridge are gone,
together with 1000 feet of track.
When the flood was at its height, the
Great Northern line between Monroe
and Skohomish. distance Of seven
miles. was inundated to depth Of from
to Is feet. Todays advices, however,
are to the effect that the waters OF all
rivers have receded except at Skohom-
ish. In the flats and bottoms water
covered thousands of acres of rich farm
land, leaving nothing but wreck and
ruin behind. The Great Northern is
making no attempt to run trains, save
on the coast line north to Standwood.
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 Sunday night three min
utes after the Northern Pacific passen-
ger train from Portland had passed
Ainslee, half mile of track and road
bed near that place slid into the Cow
litz river. The eastern malls due here
Saturday 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 overland
trains east from Tacoma and is also
making steamer connections from this
city to Portland.