Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-03-02
TRAINS HURLED
INTO CANON
Snowslides in the Cascades
Bury Two Northern Pacific
Trains
FIFTY LIVES REPORTED LOST
Rescuing Parties Will Be in
Constant Peril From
Avalanches.

Avalanches.
Seldom in the history of trans-con-
tinental railroading has the Pacific
slope been cut off from the rest of the
continent as it is today. OF several
trans-continental lines having termi
nails on this coast only the most south
ern routes are open. The Central Pa
cific, the Northern Pacific, the Great
Northern, the Milwaukee and ST. Paul
are at standstill. Every line is
blocked by floods or snow slides. Tele-
graphic communication throughout the
northwest has been generally inter-
rupted by storms and because of this
it has been possible to secure only
meager details of series of disasters.
Eevertt, Wash, March 2.-It is now
feard that fifty lives were lost in the
avalanche that carried two Great
Northern trains into canyon near
Wellington yesterday. The cars were
hurled one hundred and fifty feet to
the bottom of a canyon and buried in
the debris. The town of Wellington
and the Great Northern Power house
were not destroyed as first reported.
1t is impossible to reach the scene of
the wreck today, except on foot. The
approach from the east side of the
Cascade mountains was cut off by a
snow slide at Drury, which destroyed
the station and killed Watchman John
son. The weather in the mountains
continues warm and rescue parties
will be in constat peril from ava
lanches.
Raging Torrents on Pacific Coast.
Seattle, March 2.-Melting SHOWS in
the mountains, augmented by local
rains, have made raging torrents of
all streams in central and western
Washington and today towns in the
lowlands are fearing serious floods. In
the mountains the snow is more than
eight feet on the level and some places
eighteen feet deep. The Chinook
winds are melting snow faster than
the gorged streams can carry it off.
Five Persons Drowned.
Spokane, March 2.-The most de-
vastating floods in the history of
western Washington are reported. Five
persons have been drowned. The
streets of Pullman, Washington, are
torrents three to six feet deep, and
a number of buildings have been
swept away. At Davenport and Gar
field the rivers are rushing through
the streets. Colfax is isolated and
railroad lines and telegraph connec-
feet deep in the streets. Northern
Idaho reports the Clearwater and the
Snake rivers rising rapidly, fed by
swollen streams that flooded Peck,
Kooskia and Arrow Junction. One
span of the Lawyers canon bridge,
said to be one of the longest and high
est railway bridges in the world, has
gone out.
The railway bridge United States,
is reported swept away above Kamiah,
Idaho. This morning the floods show
no signs of abating.
Walked Eighteen Miles for Help.
Everett, Wash, March "A mes
senger was sent for help. The first
news of the disaster was brought by
John Wentzel who fought his way
eighteen miles through the deep snow
to Skyhomish, where he gasped out
the story of the catastrophe. Relief
trains were at once made up, but could
get no further than Scenic, ten miles
from the scene. Over the mountain
trail, however, it was but three miles,
and nurses, physicians and others hur-
ried along this perilous path.
Cut Off From the World.
Seattle, March 2.-It is not unlikely
that the Puget Sound country will be
cut off from communication with the
outside world before the day is over.
Most of the Northern Pacific trains be-
tween Seattle and Portland have been
annulled, but the line through the
mountains is open, though in hourly
danger from washouts. The Great
Northern main line will be closed for
a week longer.
Death List Increases.
Everett, Wash, March 2.-Superin-
tendent OsNeil of the Great Northern
telegraphs that sixty lives were lost
| in yesterdays avalanche.
Groans and Cries for Help.
Everett, March 2.-The trains over
whelmed were the west bound Spo-
kane and Overland mail trains. The
latter carried no passengers. A COM
plete list of the dead and injured can
not be obtained until rescuers have
explored the wreckage. The known
dead include Trainmaster A. L. Black
burn, of Everett; A. E. Longcoy, Sec
retary to Superintendent O'Neil. The
injured include Fireman j. d. Kurde,
serious; Engineers Osborne, F. S.