CENTENNIAL OF GREAT NORTHERN CASCADES DISASTER This is probably stepping on Canadian Pacific 2816’s toes (apologies), but it is the 100 year anniversary of one of the worst disasters in American railroading, and certainly the worst in the Great Northern’s history. On February 23, 1910 Train No. 25, a Spokane – Seattle overnight express was held at Cascade Tunnel Station, the East portal of the original 2.63 mile long Cascade Tunnel. A heavy snowstorm was dumping snow faster than the rotary snow plows could clear it on the western side of Stevens Pass, and avalanches would close the line as soon as the plows cleared it. As there was no diner on the train, the passengers were led to the beanery for breakfast. Train No. 27, the Fast Mail, was also held there. On February 24 about 7:45 PM the two trains having been dug out by hand were moved by their steam locomotives through the tunnel to Wellington at the West portal of the tunnel. Snowslides had taken out the power for the electric locomotives which normally pulled trains through the tunnel with the steam engines coasting. Shortly after, a snowslide wiped out the beanery at Cascade Tunnel Station and killed two cooks. More snow and slides continued to block the line. Single rotary plows were trapped by slides that came down behind them. It was necessary to couple rotaries back to back. The snow was heavy; maybe 16 feet fell out of three consecutive storms. The steep mountainsides could not hold the wet snow in temperatures close to the melting point. Logging and fires had decimated the forest which could have minimized the slides. The slides carried down rocks and stumps which played havoc with the rotary plows. At 1:45 A.M. on March 1, 1910 a gigantic slide came down through Wellington and carried away the locomotive and 7 cars of Train No. 25 and the locomotive and 4 cars of Train No. 27. 98 known people died, 51 of them railroaders; there may have been more, as hundreds of laborers were on the line to help in clearing the snow.
This website has four dramatic photos
http://barkingrabbits.blogspot.com/2008/03/huge-avalanche-buries-two-trains-to.html
Dave Nelson
My understanding is that this disaster was largely ‘self-inflicted’, by the uninformed construction and traffic personnel of the railroad back in that day. Much of the logging was done for the tunnel timbers and other railroad structures; the rest was facilitated by the railroad to provide some paying traffic for it. The ‘slash’ / waste is what burned, denuding the mountainside and setting the stage for this to happen. Although, it was like 20 years after the line was constructed . . .
Thanks for reminding us, the concise recitation of the event, and the links and references. [tup] Also, the Iron Goat Trail - I hadn’t known about that one.
- Paul North.
Many years ago back in the Mid 1980’s I hiked up to the location of the disaster and all the way through the old tunnel . There was stiil remenants of the town of Tye and a surprising number of arifacts lttered the area for those who want to look .
I recall standing on the old right away and looking up the Mountain side and picturing the way it looked in 1910 and how the disaster unfolded . It was a humbling experience when you consider the brave soals who lived and worked in places like this 100 years ago .
Welcome to the Iron Goat Trail Website
History of the Iron Goat Trail - includes a brief summary of the Wellington disaster, and several more references at the bottom of this webpage -
http://www.irongoat.org/history.html
Interesting stuff - thanks again !
- Paul North.
Here is a link to an incredibly informative forum thread on the Wellington avalanche, including many photos of the haunting debris field that exists to this day: