Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-03-02

the Great Northern Railway oflicIal.
" announced this afternoon that rs
persons were dead; 1s 10 20 missing,
and 12 injured by the wellington av-
alanche. and that the company has
men struggling through the snow
from Wellington 70 Scenic hot springs
where they viii telegraph the list
OF the dead. injured and missing.
Many known 90 be- Dead.
EVERETT. Wash. March 2. rs
Twenty-three are known to be dead,
rs are missing and score are injur-
cd, as result Of the avalanche which
swept down the mountainslde above
Wellington, AZ the west portal Of
the Cascade tunnel. yesterday morn
Ing and brushed two Great Northern
trains. one the westbounl Spokane
Express and the other an overland
train, on the narrow ledge of the
high line. hurting them TO The bot
tom OF the canyon. zoo feet below.
Coupled 10 the Spokane Express
was superintendent O'NeIIl's private
ear. This was carried over the proci.
piee with the-rest Of the train. three
locomotives, four powerful electric
motors used to haul trains through
the Cascade tunnel. the depot At Well
lington and a water tank were also
carried away BY the slide and buried
under tons OF debris.
Deaths ON Spokane Local.
Messages from the rescuers Il
work are brought from Wellington
TO Scenic and are brief. From re-
ports received at the Great Northern
oiiices here It is evident that the
greatest loss OF life was among the
passengers on the Spokane local.
The wrecked trains lie piled on
top Of each other 400 feet below the
siding upon which they stood when
the avalanche swept over them. The
cars were crushed into klndling wood
and no one On the trains escaped
injury. The slide filled the shelf up
on which the tracks at Wellington
are laid and rolled over the edge on
down the mountainside into the val
ley below.
Passengers Asleep on Trains.
The avalanche swept down the
mountainside shortly aiIer 4 o'clocs
in the morning II was half a mile
long. and the snow. loose stones and
uprooted trees were piled several
feet deep. Most OF the passengers on
the train we're asleep and received no
warning OF the danger. The trains
and locomotives were completely bur
led BY the debris from the mountain
side and Il was six hours after the
avalanche before the rescue party
made up from workers and sent to
attack the snow drifts located them.
willing hands at once proceeded 70
the task OF rescuing the living and
removing the dead.
An appeal was sent at once to
Everett for help and q traInload Of
physicians and reseuers was started
for the scene. Owing 70 previous
slides which have blocked the line
and carried out sections OF track
the rescue train gees only as far ~
Scenic.
DiMlcult 20 Reach.
Wellington Ia at the west portal Of
the Cascade tunnel and is 1000 feet
above Scenic and almost directly
over the little resort. II the res
cuers follow the tortuoas windings
Of the road a. II climbs the mountain
they win have to walk 10 miles. but
By taking q mountain trail they can
cut this distance 10 three miIen.
Many Feared Disaster.
The Spokane Express had been
stalled At Wellington since las
Thursday. The passengers have been
eating ~ the railroad boarding house
and az nearby cottages. but return
ed 70 the Puilmans TO spend the
nights. Two days ago several Of
the passengers. fearing 3 catastrophe
Of this Kind. asked Superintendent
o'Nelil 70 have the train moved back
iato the Cascade tunnel. where Il
would be protected. Mr.. o'NeiIl il
said 70 have declared that the srain
was perfectly safe on the siding at