Wellington Train Avalanche: 1910

On March 1, 1910, high up in the Cascade mountains, winter snows the week before had stalled trains along the Great Northern Railway between Spokane and Seattle. Stranded passengers had hopes that the track would be cleared that day, unaware of the disaster to come.
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This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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Script by THG
#history #thehistoryguy #disasters

[@donl1410]

Being a railroad buff. I've heard that story a number of times. You did it justice! Definitely, "History Deserves to Be Remembered".

[@ar4040smith]

As a young man in the late 90s I visited this site. It was an early Autumn day and was drizzling and quite cold. I don't normally get spooked but I must admit that that place gave me the willies. Thanks for doing a video about my home state by the way. I feel that, unless someone is talking about grunge or Mt St Helens ,Washington gets overlooked.

[@VespasianJudea]

The game Alan Wake takes place in Washington state. So does the sequel.

[@morganpavia7634]

Last time I was up there was just after the tunnel had caved in, definitely a creepy feeling

[@mattiemathis9549]

I spent my youth in Idaho, but I had grandparents who lived in Washington. I feel ya. The only time I hear about Idaho is when they are talking about militant white suprematists who want to overthrow the government. 😂

[@Hypatia52]

That's not true anymore. Now Idaho gets mentioned for the burgeoning theocracy, a la Handmaiden's Tale. Oh, and those 4 college kids who were murdered. @@mattiemathis9549

[@luciennerizk4549]

Don't forget the great forests and the wonderful apples!

[@drshoe8744]

I can't imagine the amount of labor it took to free those trapped without the power tools we have today, they were definitely a different breed back then. "Grab your bucksaws and shovels, there's work to be done!"

[@stuartriefe1740]

In your seats, class. The master Historian is beginning the lesson!

[@Maven0666]

Teachers need to pay attention to. #teachers

[@annbastin6654]

As a long time resident and frequent traveler in this area, I can say that this disaster is never forgotten. Yours is the finest telling of the history I have seen. Thank you.

[@mollybell5779]

Once again, another significant piece of American history that I was not aware of. When I first discovered THG, I had many episodes to catch up on, so I could enjoy several videos per day. Now I eagerly wait for each one to come out. Can't get enough, but grateful for what I can get.

[@user-oh2hs6jh5x]

As soon as you said Steven's name I thought "ah, the Panama Canal guy"! If I could make a suggestion to my other history nerd classmates it would be to read David McCullough's book "The Path Between The Seas", which is about the construction of the Panama Canal, and in which Steven's is prominently mentioned.

[@Fred_Lougee]

I had always assumed that it was named after Isaac Stevens, the first governor of Washington Territory, later killed at the Battle of Shiloh.

[@victoriacervantes8561]

This is a wonderful book about this disaster. The White Cascade : The Great Northern Railway Disaster and America's Deadliest Avalanche by Gary Krist

[@webbtrekker534]

I have visited Wellington. As the new tunnel (8.7 miles long) being built the town of Wellington was disassembled and moved down to the western end of the new tunnel. All that remains are some foundations and flat spots with signs saying what the buildings use to be on that site. The old tunnel was abandoned but after a walk though the forest you can see the mouth of the old tunnel though the forest service had blocked access into the tunnel. The site of the slide can be reached walking through the concrete snow shed still there. Take a jacket or heavy shirt to wear as you will be in the shade and partly underground for the walk and a breeze blows through. (Ask me how I know). Depending on how the winter was sometimes the road to Wellington is blocked by snow well into August.

[@jackprier7727]

I had the privilege of going thru the old tunnel back in the 80s, toured the big sheds and some wreckage-

[@jamesjustus6568]

Thank you sir, for covering this event. For many years we have lived outside of the town of Leavenworth, now an iconic tourist “Bavarian Village” but was the Great Northern RR division point on the east side of the Cascades/Stevens Pass at the time of the Wellington disaster. Over the years we have visited the resting places of victims in the town cemetery and hiked the Iron Goat. We passed through the original Cascade Tunnel a number of times prior to its collapse in 2007/8. The history of the GNRR is all around our area, from the highway that follows portions of the original railway alignment to barns that were constructed from lumber salvaged from trestles and snow sheds when the realignment happened in the late 1920’s. The dam and remains of the power plant that ran electric engines through the old Cascade Tunnel still exist in Tumwater Canyon. The road we live on is named after one of the construction camps during the realignment and construction of new tunnels, Camp 12.

[@grantbowers1186]

Growing up 70 miles away and driving past it many times. Never knew about this. May they rest in peace and be remembered

[@Andrewm714]

I live in Seattle, have gone to Steven's Pass many times to ski - and took a long train ride on Amtrak from Chicago to Seattle and it was, looking out of my window, a harrowing stretch to be on a train with nothing but seriously long drops down between the crags of the Cascade mountains.

[@jamesdoyle5405]

I am always enthralled by old newspaper accounts. The descriptiòns, the personal stories, the colorful stories of witnesses paint indelible scenes in my mind.

[@clayhackney3514]

I got stuck for 24 hours on the Empire Builder in Glacier National Park a few years ago because of an avalanche. We had to wait for the plow to come behind us so we could backtrack to Spokane and take buses from there instead. Wild times!

[@Eric_Hutton.1980]

Terrible tragedy. May these poor souls Rest in Peace.

[@prontsc]

Thank you! Not for me, but for the generations of people whose tales were thought forever forgotten and families of those remembered.!

[@kendavis8046]

Terrifying tale that illustrates that even by then first world standards, tragedy can strike. Most of us have heard of the Donner party from an even earlier time, but I had never heard this story. Thank you, History Guy. It's not a pleasant tale, but indeed it is something that should be remembered.

[@masterskrain2630]

Read "The White Cascade" by Gary Krist for the full story.

[@chrislittlepage5416]

I replied the same thing it's a great read

[@christhompson2006]

The Iron Goat Trail is a very nice day hike that takes you along parts of the old railroad right of way. The tunnels are mostly off limits since they haven't been maintained in the last hundred years but you can go a little way into a couple of them. Highly recommended if you're in the area.

[@Fred_Lougee]

Just guessing that the name is a reference to the logo of the GNRR which featured a silhouette of a mountain goat in a circle.

[@Dyno440]

You are a great teacher and story teller. Thank you.

[@edschermerhorn5415]

I used to live just east of Steven’s pass as a tween… One summer, the highway over the pass was being worked on, and traffic was diverted (one way at a time) down on that road near the crass site…VERY steep!

[@stevegallagher687]

Sadly much of history always involves war and tragedy. That said this was well done as usual. Thanks HG

[@tylergibbs3869]

I like your endless love of history. The origanal pics, and the less than world wide know history lessons.

[@canaanval]

This is a much better telling of the story than I heard yesterday in a “Scary Interesting” video!😂

[@michaelrapier339]

Some of the detritus is still there in the upper Tye Creek/River at the bottom of the slide. The hillside is no longer barren.

[@ghowell13]

How terrible. Thank you for well done episode, as always, The History Guy ❤

[@BigboiiTone]

Very neat to see the snow plow on a train

[@ImTHATguy...]

This is an eerie history I learned about a few years ago. I grew up in Spokane, and I traveled through that area to visit family times.

[@jimdavis6833]

I rode on the Great Northern 4 times back in the early 60s, traveling from Montana to Chicago (and back), where I switched to the L&N on my way to Florida.I have many fond memories of those trips.

[@davidsavage5258]

5:27 Being very familiar with both the story and its location for over 40 years, I was quite pleased to see this story pop up. You did an excellent job of it. Thank you for the condensed scope, You still managed to evoke the horror of the avalanche and its aftermath. Martin Burwash has a good U-tube video of his guided tour of the site. As has been mentioned, I couldn't help but feel something between spooked and humbled. especially on the slope directly above the creek bed where everything stopped. 5:27

[@russwoodward8251]

Wow. Exploring that area of Washington this summer, I'll have to look into Wellington. Thank you History Guy and researchers! Really great telling of the story, the pictures of the disaster had to be rare to find.

[@annakavalec835]

Stephen Ernest Lindsey, born 11 November 1876 in Iowa, already a widower, was killed in this disaster. He was a brakeman for the rail road and a relative of mine.

[@glenmartin2437]

Thank you for covering this disaster. I learned something new.

[@sandrasmith7091]

That's horrible, amazing so many did survive, thank goodness the rescuers got there so quick. That the town wasn't that far. Thank you for sharing they're story.

[@guyh.4553]

I have heard about this story but you HG went into far greater & indepth on the details. Haven't made it there yet that sounds like an excellent boon docking trip. Great job!

[@jacobstringfellow6802]

Awesome place to visit in the summer! Definitely looking forward to visiting again.

[@chrislittlepage5416]

There is a book called White Cascade about the events that happened there on March 1st 1910. The author's name is Gary Krist

[@morganpavia7634]

Have been to the site many times through the years. I know the local historical society has made some recent efforts to bring more attention to this story

[@dputnam6]

The engines are still there, to heavy to be recovered. It is a very steep hike down to them from the trail. Got to walk through the tunnel before it collapsed several years ago. More interesting history there, the snow sheds that were built to protect the track after the avalanche were bombed to test penetration bombs

[@chrisnemec5644]

You had always said that you were very backed up with suggestions, but I never knew how backed up until now. I (along with some others) had suggested this about three years ago. A most excellent video and a lot more informative than some of the others I've seen about this.

[@webbtrekker534]

So did I. I learned about the disaster after stopping Skykomish for lunch one day. There is a large marker telling the story there.

[@frankgulla2335]

These "trainwreck" stories are all awful. I believe you have already done one on the Ashtabula wreck late in the 19th century. But this sounds as bad or worse. Thank you for sharing this painful tale.

[@theblackbear211]

Like @donl1410, I have heard and read about this story several different times in the last 50 years or so, but your images and telling are among the very best. Thank you for retelling this story.

[@RetiredSailor60]

Good Friday morning History Guy and everyone watching. Have a good weekend.

[@emilien.]

A Washington native, I had the opportunity to see the vestiges of this tragedy in the 1970s.

[@frankdodgee]

What a terrible event. Just can’t say more than that. Thanks History Guy. They’re remembered 👍

[@laserbeam002]

Another interesting bit of history I had never heard before. Thank you for posting this.

[@cbroz7492]

...Steven's genius in Panama was building the railroad that was so vital to the success of thst project

[@jonathanfoe1]

A terrible tale! The Puget sound region was often cut off for days because of cascade snow storms, up through the 1950s. This helped give the region a sense of apartness that it has even to today.

[@kennethhanks6712]

An excellent detailed telling of this story is the book "The White Cascade" by Gary Krist. The tale how every effort to deal with the difficulties of of the blizzard and free the trapped trains before the avalanche were ultimately defeated is a reminder that sometimes no matter what mankind does sometimes events/nature prove greater.

[@davidsavage5258]

Well said. The line over the pass couldn't stay clear because the rotary snowplows employed couldn't munch through tree trunks and rocks carried by an avalanche. Cut off from their coal supplies, they were doomed to run out of fuel and lose steam further blocking the track until strong bacs with saws and shovels could allow refueling and rescue. It's something to consider this March 1st as the line over Donner Pass is closed to rail traffic as a major snowstorms blanket the area. "History shows again and again how nature points out the follies of men."

[@rv6amark]

Nicely covered! There is a great book that goes into detail of the individuals on the trains and the officials who were responsible for the decision making which led to this disaster: "The White Cascade: The Great Northern Railway Disaster and America's Deadliest Avalanche" by Gary Krist. Very highly recommended reading with pictures and hand drawn maps.

[@geofftimm2291]

Excellent and frightening as always.

[@loditx7706]

I certainly did enjoy it. I remember reading about anther stuck train in those mountains, but I believe it was in the 50s. I don’t think an avalanche struck it, but there was not enough food and, there were babies on board and before rescue any linens available were being used as diapers. The heat had to be turned off when some began suffering possible asphyxiation and possibly some people succumbed to hypothermia. If you can locate this historic story I would love to see a presentation here. Thank you, a grateful patron. 👍

[@bavondale]

Great story and well told. thank you

[@johnfun3394]

Thanks

[@honodle7219]

Shed a tear for the lost.

[@peteengard9966]

The news has really changed. The descriptions and stories were so much better decades ago. If it happened today. The articles would have one paragraph about the disaster and fifteen about global climate change had caused it because you're still driving a gasoline powered car and your plastic straw. Thank you HG.

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

It's quite the dedicated--and unusually 'fit'--doctor who can make a house call requiring a trek in snowshoes.

[@Link720.]

This avalanche reminds me of the Roger's pass avalanche in Canada 3 days after the disaster.

[@alistairj4851]

Thank you. I always enjoy your posts but sometimes they really pique my interest. This is one such post and I have found your telling of it, of great pleasure.

[@BasicDrumming]

I appreciate you and thank you for making content.

[@Insultingtruth]

You welcome.

[@usapatriot4163]

Fascinating story! Thanks!

[@melissasueh.]

It is ironic that the Amtrak train through Stevens Pass was cancelled for 2 days by a snowstorm when this video was published.

[@beebop9808]

Sad.....

[@biggtrux]

It's sad that the town eventually died too.

[@kellybasham3113]

Love your videos

[@Sacto1654]

And the new tunnel, the Cascade Tunnel, was a major feat of engineering in the mountainous western USA only matched by teh Moffat Tunnel, which opened, a year before the Cascade Tunnel.

[@brucefelger4015]

The town of Wellington is gone, at the behest of the Railroad.

[@rickieoakes5267]

And again today they are expecting several feet of snow 🌨️ in the mountains there!😮

[@chrissmart9701]

We walked thru the tunnel years ago but last time I was there couple years past there was a rock fall near the entrance .didnt look so good .

[@jackprier7727]

Same here-did it in the 80s. I can say that "light at the end of the tunnel" can mean it's only another mile-

[@malcolmmeer9761]

Rushville In, not from there however I now have a farming operation in Rush co.

[@rickieoakes5267]

My daughter and granddaughters live in Rushville,IN .

[@choryferguson2196]

Thanks for this bit of PNW history.

[@jeffbangkok]

Good evening from the mango farm

[@ThomasEJohnson]

Avalanches must be horrifying to experience.

[@hwizell7478]

Iron goat trailer My father introduced this Story disaster #haiku #irongoattrail #thankyoujohn

[@1boortzfan]

Living in Florida all my life i have trouble grasping what can be done by so much snow but i guess it can.

[@Insultingtruth]

Come to Alaska for a vacation. He will love it.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Sad

[@Fred_Lougee]

Bonus points for correctly pronouncing Spokane. Next challenge: Puyallup.

[@aliciatyrell3705]

You should do an episode on the usns Savannah the atoms for peace Nuclear passenger and cargo vessel

[@billt6116]

That train that got swept over the edge is still haunted to this day.. it's rumored People trying to swipe souvenirs, Unexplainably die.

[@loditx7706]

What is the longest tunnel?

[@cherylbrooks7005]

😊

[@jkilby27able]

👍👍👍👍

[@calebbarkley3097]

👍🏻

[@bigsarge2085]

👍👍

[@jamest2401]

You mentioned during your introduction that when the train passengers went to sleep, they had reason to hope that the tracks would be cleared by the following day. Unfortunately for them, however, the tracks were cleared by the next day-just not of snow.😉 Please forgive the tidbit of gallows humor, but as we’re now knocking on the door of the 115ᵀᴴ anniversary, I could hardly be admonished for it having been a joke made “too soon.”

[@tugginalong]

Back when humans really cared by showing it, not talking about it.

[@EGSBiographies-om1wb]

107th

[@merlinwizard1000]

19th, 1 March 2024

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Back in black ⚫

[@ashergoney]

Miner Boy Kurdie For . Miner Boy Garys..

[@1is1]

Look into the 1954 Bitburg incident