The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-06
N|NETY-TWO MEN
DIE IN AVALANCHE
Entombed by a Great Slide
While Clearing Canadian
Pacific Track.
HORROR ON THE SUMMIT
OF THE SELKIRK RANGE
Fourteen Injured Dug From
Debris and Are Now in
Hospital.
Ev Associated Press.

bE ASSuCiattu lTeSS
VANCOUVER, B. c.. March D.
Ninety-two men who were engaged IN
clearing the Canadian Pacific tracks In
Rogers Pass, at the summit of the Sci
kirk range, were entombed by an ava
lancho soon after midnight this morn
ing and all are dead. Fourteen others
injured have been taken to the hospital,
This afternoon the bodies Of only
6vo mon had been recovered. They
were those of Roadmaster Fraser, Fire
man Griffith, Conductor Buckley, Engi
neer Philips and a Japanese. The
work of recovering the dead and open
ing the track is greatly impeded by a
blizzard that is blowing through the
pass.
Second Big Slide.
Thore was also another big slide
Of snow and rock this morning mile
east of tho spot where the mon were
overwhelmed. 1T destroyed a portion
of 4 snowshed aud buried the track for
400 yards 10 depth Of sixty feet
There were no victims in the last ava
lanche.
The men wcro a working crew engaged
In clearing away small slide which had
come down early IN the evening, They
were Were w9rklns a rotary engine over 1t
when larger slide came down and car
below.
At first It was believed that all of the
hundred men engaged wero killed. but
during the early morning IL was found
That many had escaped. and the death
list is now placed In the vicinity Of nifty,
Passenger Trains Safe.
All passenger trains on the lire are
safe, though 1t viii probably be q day
two before they are able to pass the place
where the slide occurred.
Last night was one of the worst that
has ever been experienced IN tho railroad
situation of the Canadian Pacific There
sometimes snow, and weather conditions
were altogether at their worst.
storm also occurred In the Arrow
lakes. Communication with the east is
down. y long section of telegraph line
was carried away by the slide.
The accident occurred near a snow
at the actual summit OF the Selkirks.
Seventyflve per cent OF the dead were
white men. the remainder Japanese. Con-
ductor Buckley and Engineer Phillips OF
the work train headed by a rotary snow
ploy we re killed.
As socn as the news reached Revclstoke
a relief train conveying physicians and
nurses and over 200 railway men and
| other citizens was speeding east TO Rog-
! ers pass. The scene Of the accident was
reached at 8 o'clock this morning, when
! the task OF digging In the tangled mass
! OF debris In the hope OF finding a few
survivors. was commenced with visor.
Surgeons Sent to Scene.
Calgary made an equally prompt re-
| sponse. II also sent n special train with
| 80 worlfmen as we'll as nurses and doc
tors. The special arrived at Rogers
pass at 10 o'clock this morning Act
| Ing Superintendent Fitzpatrick of the Pa
cifc division OF the Canadian Pacific rail-
| way left Vancouver today for the scene
| Of the accident.
The first slide occurred at $40 yes
| terday afternoon. IN the narrow valley OF
Bear creek, thanked or either side by
precipitous mountains covered with
| depth of snow varying from twenty TO
fifty feet. The slide did not come from
| very high elevation and was composed
mostly of snow. II had Il length OF 500
feet and a depth of eighty feet While
men were working to clear the tracks at
| 1890 this morning, half OF the first slide
| ianche descended. 1t started the side
| OF the canyon opposite the point where
the first slide occurred Thousands OF
| feet above, a few rolling masses OF snow
started on pathway OF destruction.
In a few seconds with a noise like
| thousand thunderbolts crashing in uni
| son. the avalanche leaped from shelf to
shelf. carrying with it d tangled mass Of
Ice trees and boulders. There was no
escape for the unfortunate workers.
Slide Fifty Feet Deep.
The avalanche piled on top of the first
| slide. burylng the tracks for n distance
| OF a quarter of mile and to depth
tons OF other debris IN the wake OF the
avalanche bounded off the huge heap
and half filed the valley OF Bear creek
| hundreds OF feet below,