Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-03-03

erIntendent o'Neill Of ehe orsat IS
! Northern, who 10 directing the re-
lief work In the mountains, tete-
| graphs that sixty lives wore lost In
the avalanche.
1 Everett, Wash, March 1.-Today'I
dispatches confirm last nights reports
OF the overwhelming Of Great Northern
passenger trains by an avalanche at
Wellington. A portion Of the town OF
Wellington and the west portal of the
Cascade tunnel were swept down the
mountain with the train. Estimatea
now place the known dead at twenty
three and the missing at twenty-five
more Probably a score were injured.
Two trains were at the depot when
the avalanche came down the noun.
tain. The first news of the disaster
was brought by John Wentzel of Wel-
lington. who reached Skykomish ex-
1 hausted after several hours Of hard
travel through the snow, Ice and de-
bris swept from the mountain tops.
|. He says those who escaped serious in-
i jury and others not In the path Of tho
slide started the work OF rescue at
once. The men carried the women and
children from the partly buried
Il
and were given the best attention pos
sible under the circumstances. Mes
sages telling Of the disaster were sent
to Everett and relief trains carrying
physicians were dispatched It Ia stat
ed now that forty persons were on the
trains when struck by the slide.
! Most of the dead are believed to
have been passengers on tho Great
Northern express bound from Spokane
to Seattle, which has been stalled In
the mountains since Thursday. They
were asleep whom the slide came.
| All Telecraph Wires Down.
| The trains were overwhelmed near
the west portal Of the Cascade tun-
mel. All the telegraph wires are down
within fifteen miles Of the aide. The
avalanche was ha1f q mile long r. waa
six hours after the avalanche fell be-
fore the rescuers could reach the In
1ured Superintendent O'NeIlls private
car was burned. ONeill escaped In
| Jury.
Resourers Arc Delayed.
|, It will be impossible to reach the
scene OF the wreck today except By
foot From the east side Of the Cas-
cades the approach is cut OF by Z
snowslide, at Drury, which destroyed
the station and killed Watchman John
son. The cars fell $50 feet and were
buried by debris. The town Of Welling.
ton, and the Great Northern poweK
house were not destroyed as reported.
The weather in the mountains is warm
and rescue parties are In constant
peril from snowslides
. 4 Eight Saved BY Leaving Train
Seattle, Wash, March John 8.
Rogers Of this city, reached Seattle
last night. He was on one OF the snow
bound trains at Wellington, but was
one OF those who, wearied OF waiting
; for relief, walked to Skykomish.
He says the train was stalled at the
east portal Of the Cascade tunnel last
Wednesday. Friday night they moved
through the tunnel as far as yelling
!, ton, half mile beyond the west portal
!, of the tunnel. Sunday there werc
!, slides Of snow that did some damage.
The snow and terrific winds were al
!, most continuous, and Monday night
eight passengers decided to walk to
!. Skykomish. The others remained at
Wellington where the disaster over.
took them yesterday.
Serious Floods Threatened.
Il Water from melting snow In the
} mountains augmented by local rains
made raging torrents Of all the
: streams in central and western Wash
ington. Towns in low lands are fac
ing serious floods. Many slides are re-
ported in the canyons throughout the
2 district, causing damage to isolated
! buildings, shops and mills. The snow
1 fall in the mountains in unprecedented
/ amounting to more than eight feet on
4 the level and in some places the snow
0 is said to be eighteen feet deep.
Q The Chinook winds are melting the
t snow faster than the gorged rivers can
4 carry off the water. Several small
+ bridges have been carried out, but as
yet the property loss is inconsider-
able The intake of the pipe line that
brings drinking water to Seattle from
: the mountains, is threatened by ris-
! ing waters OF the Cedar river and the
a 4 = txA