The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-03-02
Most Of Passengers Were Asleep
When Catastrophe Occurred
and Were Caught Like Rats in
Trap-Rescuers Cannot Reach
Scene of Disaster.

EVERETT, Wash, March L.
'Twenty-three are known to be dead
and twenty-five are missing and a
score are injured as the result of the
avalanche which swept down the
mountainside at Wellington early to-
day and brushed two Great Northern
trains off the narrow ledge of the
high line, hurting them to the bottom
of the canyon 200 feet below. Those
reported dead are Trainmaster A. l..
Blackburn, Everett; A. c. Longjoy,
Everett; Louis Walter, Everett. Seri-
ously injured: Fireman J. D. Kurdee.
Slightly injured: Engineers Osborne,
F. s. Martin, Carroll, Jorgenson and
D. e Tegmeier of Everett, Fireman
Gilman, Bennington, links, MONK, E..
A. Bates, Fred Nelson Conductor M.
A. White, Brakeman Ross, Mail Clerk
A. III. Hurdell, Porters A. Smith and
L. Anderson and Trainmaster W. Har-
rington.
Reports Very Meagre.
Meagre reports that have drifted
down from Wellington. the scene of
this mornings avalanche, indicate
that at least twenty-three lives and
possibly almost twice that number of
lives, were lost in the, slide, which
overwhelmed two Great Northern
trains buried Superintendent O'Neilrs
private car, three locomotives and
four big electric motors used to haul
trains through the Cascade tunnel
Most of the dead are believed to have
been passengers on the westhound
Spokane express which have been
stalled in the mountains since Febru-
airy "a. The other train was East
Unconstitutional train and carried no
passengers. Names of the passengers
on the westbound are not known here,
and wire trouble in the mountains has
interrupted communication with the
scene of the disaster. Fate of the
train crews is not known
Railroad Secretary MISSING.
It is feared A. e. Lonjoy O'Neilrs
private secretary, is dead He was in
the private car and was buried, and
messages received make no mention
of his escape. O'Neill, who has been
directing the work of fighting the
snow blockade for the last ten days
was not in the car when the slide oc-
Cured and escaped injury. The ava
lanche swept down the mountain side
shortly after O'Clock this morning
1t was half a. mile long, and snow
loose stones and uprooted trees We're
piled several feet deep. Most Of the
passengers on the train were asleep
and received no warning of the
danger.
Trains and locomotives were COM
pIetely buried by debris from the
mountain side and it was six hours
after the avalanche before rescue par
ties, made up from workers sent to
attack the snow drifts, located them.
Willing hands at once proceeded to
the task of rescuing the living and
removing the bodies of the dead. An
appeal at once was sent to Everett for
help and trainload of physicians and
rescuerers was started for the scene.
Buried Are Marooned
Owing to previous slides which have
blocked the line and carried out Sec
tiens of track, the rescue train can
go only as far as Scenic Wellington
is at the west portion of the Cascade
tunnel and 1000 feet above the little
resort. If rescuers follow the tortu-
Gus windings Of the railroad they will
have to walk ten miles, but by taking
a mountain trail the distance is three
miles.
A second rescue train, containing a
wrecking outfit and additional work.