The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-03-09
AWFUL CRASH
Engines and Trains Hurled From Track
Into Canyon
BY AVALANCHE OF SNOW

Further Details OF the Awful Dis
nster That Overwhelmed Three
Locomotives, Two Trains and Fou'
Electric Motors on the Great
Northern Railway.
AS further details OF the disaster
that overwhelmed two Grea. North
ern passenger trains when an avail
anche swept the trains and portion
O. the own OF Wellington. Wash. a;
the west portal OF the Cascade tun'
pcl. down the mountainsl:de. are re-
ceived. the borrow grows
Twenty-three lives are known to
have been lost when the mass o!
| snow. loose stones and uprooted
trees hurled the cars containing 20
sleeping people orer the narro"
ledge Of the high line down to the
bottom 0: the canyon 200 feet below.
When the last reports were received
from the scene Of the catastrophe.
| twenty fve more persons were miss
ing. Besides these score are ser
lousy injured Complete lists OF tn"
injured cannot be obtained until res
cre.s have dug all the bodies out OF
the wreckage. The lists available
at present contain only the names OF
trainmen killed and Injured.
The two trains that were carried
away by the great wave OF Ice aud
snow were the westbound Spokane
Limited and the west bound trans
Continental Fast Mail. The latter
carries no passengers.
Most OF the dead and Injured are
believed to have been passengers on
the Spokane express. forty OF whom
were on the train a: the time Of the
disaster. Besides these. thirty work
men. who had been engaged IN the
battle against the drifts that had
been holding the two il!tated trains
imp.isoned in the mountains since
February "a, were sleeping IN the
day coaches.
The avalanche rolled down the
mountain at 4.20 a. N. The two
trains. three locomotives. four pow
erful electric motors. the depot and
water tank we're swept OF the ledge
and deposited in twisted mass OF
wreckage at the foot Of the noun
tain. The noise from tie snow slide.
which was q mile long. could o.
heard throughout the valley. and the
superintendent directing the work Of
the night Shift. marshaled his men
and hurried 20 the rescue.
Groans and cries for help coming
from the jumbled heap Of debris at
the bottom OF the canyon indicated
that many persons imprisoned In the
wrecsage were still alive and the
-escuers worked with seyer!sh haste
TO release them. AS fast as the
injured people were removed they
were taken 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 despatched at
once for help. The arst news OF the
disaster was brought by John Wen
1zell Of Wellington. He staggered
into Sky Hom!sa. IS miles from We'll
l;ngton Tuesday and gasped out his
story.
"All wiped out" he cried. Moth
ing but smooth snow where the
tracks stood and the trains were
dumped Ito the canyon"
He was so exhausted from his
long fight against the snow that 1t
was several hours before he could
give coherent story. Bit BY bit,
Weatzell's disjointed utterances were
placed together into connected mar
| ratiye. The avalanche came w!thoa;
warning. Wentzell. who was at ".
z. Ballet's hotel. ran out to see the
b!l!ows Of snow settling over the
tracks where the train had stood.
Later Wentzell saw men carrying
women and children from the partly
buried coaches which had been car.
ried down the side Of the gulch. He
thought that eight women and chill
d.en were carried out while be look
ed on. Some Of them moaned and
he knew. therefore. that they were
living. Ballet moved his family back
into the tunnel for safety.
The hotel. the saloon and the
store at Wellington were untouched
The little railroad station was swep
away by the edge of the avalanche
which had grazed the hudd!ed house;
and wrecked the trains standing di
rectly IN It's path.
Messages telling OF the disaste
were se2t to Everett where relic
trains bearing physicians. nurses AM
workers were quickly made up. Ow
ing TO previous slides which har
blocked the road and swept AVA
portions OF the track. the rescu
trains can get no farther than Seen
ic. From there the cescuers have t
find way on foot over the snow.
Another train bearing w-ecGin
equipment and carrying undertaken
and more workers left Everett lat
Tuesday night 4 third train wit
workmen and provisions enough I
last 500 persons ten days. was ser
cas-. "Wednesday morning. Commur
ication with Scenic is frequently II
, ;errupted by slides and it is diticu
to get complete details Of the disa!
ter.
i, The names OF the passengers VII
6 arc caught in the avalanche are NJ
known at this time. Men who tire