Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-03-03
DEAD NUMBER IS
In AVALANCHE
lConlInnea from PAD .one.l

cared for at Wellington, owing ID
the dificulty in getting them II
miles down the slide-swept slope to 4
point where trains can reach them.
The rescue party that left here
on last nights special did not reach
Wellington until noon today.
Feared 6ufFocatson i'm Tunnel.
While there is no Official informa-
ton on the point, it is understood by
the local officers that train No. rs
was not kept in the tunnel because
Of the pleas Of passengers who feared
being blocaded there with the result
Ing risk Of suffering suRocation.
The passenger coaches are still
completely buried. The day coach
and smoker have entirely disappear
ed, being literally smashed to bits.
One woman was rescued from the
Pullman car after II hours imprison-
ment. Brakeman Duncon and Con-
ductors Purcell and Clary, who were
In car that was reduced to spIinters,
escaped with slight bruises and in
bare feet did heroic rescue work.
The physicians who accompanied
the relief trains report that all the
injured are doing well, and it is be-
lieyed will recover.
There are plenty of people to take
care of those needing assistance, and
an abundance of provisions. Rotaries
are working from both directions,
making good progress and doing ev-
erything possible to clear the track.
Injured Only Slightly Hurt.
The fist news directly from the
scene OF the disaster was received
here when DIR. Cox, one Of the Great
Northern physicians, who went up
on the first relief train, returned from
Wellington, accompanied by three of
the survivors, Ray Forsyth, r. M
LaVelIe and Fireman s. A. Bates DR.
Cox says that none Of the injured are
in a critical condition. Many of the
injured were only slightly hurt. When
the party left Wellington 16 were ia
the hospital in charge of DR.. Rock
well.
Forsyth and Bates estimate that
not more than 20 of the ITO people
who were carried into the canyon by
the avalanche escaped serious injury.
Eleven passenger cars, three loeomo-
tives, four electric motors, one ro-
tary snowplow, the rotary shed and
the sandhouse were swept away by
the Glide.
A member of the first relief party
who returned to Exerett said that
when he reached the scene all the
cars were completely buried. Much of
the wreckage was covered by 40 feet
of snow. and all that could be seen
was one partly covered electric motor.
two locomotives and the wreckage
of the rotary.
All that could be seen of the
coaches was steel pipe sticking out
of the snow where Pullman car was
twisted around a stump and a cur
tain that lay on top.
Fierce Storm Raging.
Ray Forsyth, one of the injured
passengers, was in a car in which
there were five women and seven
cbsIJrov IT, 400 vryuv.au ana ~fuya
children escaped, but the others un-
doubtedly have persisted. In telling
of the experience, Forsyth said that
1t seemed as If the car was lifted
bodily from the tracks and for a
while was poised in midair. Sudden
ly it toppled over the edge and roll
ed down the steep embankment. In
stantly the air was filled with shrieks
of the injured. A fearful storm was
raging. A high wind was blowing
and there was a spectacular electri-
cal display.
Men set to work at the wreckage.
They had no lights, and carried on
their work by the flare of the light
ming which was almost incessant.
Miss O'ReiIIy's RtngR
This morning the several hand OF
a woman was found. On one finger
was a ring bearing initials which
lead the workers to believe 1t belong
ed to Miss Katherine o'Reilly OF
Spokane. who is listed among the
missing.
Men returning from the scene Of
the disaster hold out little hope that
any of the missing will be recovered
alive. This tends to strengthen the
estimate that the total number Of
dead will ultimately reach 81.
Fireman S. A. Bates. one OF the in
jured, was buried under snow six
hours. Other survivors heard his
sst.r,,,t, ana duo h3u, 1..t k.ea.S ~