Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-03-03
Twelve Bodies Recovered from Gorge
and Many Are Hurt,
BUNK HOUSE AS HOSPITAL
Doctors and Nurses Enroute to Well
ington on Snowshoes.
RELIEF WORK Is HINDERED
other slides Prevent Rescue Trains
from Reaching scene of the
Disnster-ScVcnty ON One
of the Trains,

EVERETT Wash, March 2-Twenty-
three known dead and an estimated death
roll Of forty as a result of the overwhelm-
ing loss by an avalanche Of two Great
Northern passenger trains at Wellington,
Wash is the latest information obtain
able from the scene Of disaster. Com
municaton with wellington is maintained
only by men on snowshoes and the meager
details received have been secured in this
way.
Twelve bodies had been removed from
the wreckage at the bottom of a gorge
$50 feet deep when the last messenger ar
rivd. The railroad section bunk house at
Wellington has been transformed into 1
hospital and ten injured are being cared
for there.
Superintendent O'Neln Of the Great
Northern made his way to the wreck late
today at the head Of a party OF doctors
and nurses. The trip was made on snow
shoes
The names Of only three of the dead
have been learned They are:
| A. r.. BLACKBURN, trainmaster.
"A; F. LoUGCEY, superintendent
LEWIS WALKER. o'Neius cook.
The nearest telegraph station to the
scene is at Scenic Hot Springs, three
miles below, down precipitious bluff
| that is lmpassable covered as It Is with
deep blanket of snow that may start al
any moment. The telegraph operator al
! Wellington arrived at the springs today
but was almost insane with terror at the
| scenes he had witnessed anad no infor-
nation as to the exact number of dead
could be obtained from him.
The injured will be taken to Scenic Hot
Springs tomorrow II it is found possible
to move them.
Relief Work IN slow.
The railroad company is making strenu-
Gus efforts to reach Wellington from both
sides of the mountain range Relief
trains have been despatched from here
with. supplies and wreeiting crew and
efforts being made 10 clear the line
The road is blocked in several places by
smaller slides and the high temperature
leads to the fear that more may occur to
impede the relief work.
Complete lists OF the injured cannot be
obtained until rescuers have dug all the
bodies out of the wreckage. The lists
available at present contain only the names
Of trainmen killed and injured
The two trains that were carried away
by the great wave of ice and snow were
the west bound Spokane limited and the
west bound Trans Continental fast mail
The latter carries no passengers.
Most Of the dead and injured are believed
to have been passengers on the Spokane
express. forty Of whom were on the train
at the time of the disaster. Besides these,
thirty workmen, who had been engaged in
the battle against the drifts that had been
holding the two ll-fated trains imprisoned
in the mountains since February a. were
sleeping in the day coaches.
Relief Trains Blocked.
Messages telling of the disaster were sent
to Everett and relief trains bearing physi-
clans, nures and workers were made up
and dispatched.
Owing to previous slides which have
blocked the road and swept away portions
or the track, the rescue trains can get no
FARTHER than Scenic, whence the rescuers
have to make their way on foot over the
! snow.
Another train bearing wrecling equip
ment and carrying undertakers and more
workers left Everett late last night A
| thlrd train carrying workmen and pro-
visions enough to last 600 persons ten days.
was sent east this morning Communica-
ton with Scenic is frequently interrupted
by slides and 1t is difficult to get complete
details Of the disaster.
1t viii be impossible to reach the scena
OF the wreck today except by foot. From
the east side OF the Cascades approach Is
cut off by snowslide at Drury, six miles
east OF Leavenworth, which destroyed the
station and killed Watchman Johnson
The wounded are being cared for at We'll
lington, but will later be taken 10 the big
hotel at Scenic Hot Springs. 1t is believed
that the bodies of the dead win be en-
balmed, it being impracticable to bring
them out on sledges