Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-02
Horror of Disaster in
West Grows with
Later Reports.
RESCUE PARTIEShFORCED
TO BATTLE IN SNOWDRIFTS,
Total Number of Killed May
Never Be Known ineWreck
of Trains.

further details are recetydd of the u.s.
aster that overwhelmed two Great
Northern passenger trains when an
avalanche swept the trainsaand por-
tion of the town of Wellington, at the
west portal of the Cascade tunnel, down
the mountainside, the horrpr gpowrs.
Twenty-three lives are known to have
been lost when the mass of, snow. loose
stones and uprooted trees hurled the
cars containing seventy sleeping per-
sons over the narrow ledge, of the high
line down to the bottom of thes canyon.
200 feet below, and when the last re-
ports were received Twenty-Five more
were missing. Besides tl1esera score are
more or less seriously injured
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 in
jured.
Most of the dead and injured are be-
lieved to have been passengers on the
Suokanc express, forty of whom We're
on the train at the time of the disaster.
Besides these. the city workmen VINO
had been engaged in the battle against
the drifts that had been holding the two
Inflated trains imprisoned in the noun
tain since February'24, were sleeping in
the day coaches.
swept on Ledge.
The avalanche rolled down the noun
tain at 4.20 a. m. The two trains Win
three locomotives four powerful elec-
tr.c motors, the depot and the water
: taalS..were swept oft the. ledge and de-
losited in a twisted mass of wreokage
at the foot of the mountain. The noise
from the snow-siide, which was mile
long, could ee heard throughout the
valley. and Superintendent j. II.
O Neill who was directing the work
OF the night shift marshaled his men
and hurried to the rescue. Groans ana
cries for help coming from the bottom
of the canyon indicated that many I'M
prisoned in the wreckage were still
alive, and the rescuers worked with
feverish haste to release them. As fast
as the injured were removed they were
ta ken to the hospital at Scenic. three
miles away by mountain trail, but ten
when the long winding course of the
railroad is followed
A messenger was dispatched at once
for help The first news of the disaster
was brought by John Wentzel, of We'll
.lineton. He staggered into Skyhomish,
eighteen miles from Wellington. yes
iterday. "All wiped out" he cried.
Nothing but smooth snow where the
tracks stood and the trains were
dumped into the canyon"
Tells of Horror.
He was so exhausted from his long
fight against the snow that it was sew
eral. hours before he could give CO.
herent story.
Bit by bit WentzePs disjointed ut
terances were pieced together into a
connected narrative. When Wentzel,
who was at w. r. Bailets hotel, ran
out at the sound of the avalanche he
saw the pillows of snow setting over
the tracks where the train had stood.
Later he saw men carrying women
and children from the partly buried
coaches which had been hurled down
the side of the gulch He thought that
eight women and children wer carried
out while he looked on. Some of them
moaned, and he knew they were living.
Bailet's Hotel, the saloon and the store
were untouched. The little railroad sta
ton was swept away by the edge of
the avalanche, which had grazed the
huddled houses and wreaked it's fury
on the trains.
Messages telling of the disaster were
sent to Everett, and relief trains were
made up and dispatched. Owing to
previous slides. which have blocked the
road and swept away portions of the
track the rescue trains can get no fur
ther than Scenic, whence the rescuers
have to make their way on foot over
the snow.
Another train, bearing wrecking
equipment and carrying undertakers
and more workers, left Everett late last
night A third train, carrying work
men and provisions enough to last 500
persons ten days, was sent east this
morning.
Communication with Scenic is fire.
auently interrupted by slides, and it is
difficult to get complete details of the
disaster.
Among the passengers who were on
the train are: Mrs. William Starrett
and three children, Victoria, 3. c.;
Alexander Chisholm, Roseland. b. C.;
John Macllie, Moyie, b. c.: G. Heron,
Vancouver, b. c.; Mr.. and Mrs. Will
lam Moy, Chemaimus, B. C.