AVALANCHE! The 1910 Great Northern Railway Disaster
Immerse yourself in the world of America's worst avalanche disaster
Discover the Untold Story of the 1910 Avalanche!
THE TRUE EVENTS
In the late winter of 1910, a relentless blizzard trapped two Great Northern Railway trains, bound from Spokane to Seattle, in the rugged Cascade Mountains. Six days of frantic efforts to reach the passengers and crews failed. Early in the morning on March 1st, an avalanche one-half mile wide and fifteen feet deep crashed down from the mountainside during a thunderstorm. It swept the trains off the tracks, killing at least ninety-six people.
About the Documentary
Richard Uhlhorn
History Link Newsletter
Richard Uhlhorn
Avalanche! The 1910 Great Northern Railway Disaster is a gripping documentary film by Malcolm Keithley that brings to life the tragic events of the 1910 avalanche at Stevens Pass. The film expertly blends historical footage, expert interviews, and personal stories to depict the scale and devastation of the disaster, which claimed 96 lives
Avalanche! The 1910 Great Northern Railway Disaster is a gripping documentary film by Malcolm Keithley that brings to life the tragic events of the 1910 avalanche at Stevens Pass. The film expertly blends historical footage, expert interviews, and personal stories to depict the scale and devastation of the disaster, which claimed 96 lives. Keithley’s thorough research and emotional storytelling provide an immersive experience, capturing the perilous conditions faced by railroad workers and passengers in the harsh mountain environment.
The film is a valuable and poignant look at one of the deadliest rail disasters in U.S. history, offering a respectful tribute to those who lost their lives.
Deb Cuyle
History Link Newsletter
Richard Uhlhorn
For anyone wanting an in-depth look into the inner workings of the Great Northern crew during the tragedy, as well as the local people and passengers involved, about the accident,t and you have to watch this documentary! It answers many nagging questions surrounding the accident and digs into it with a blow-by-blow account. It is a Pacifi
For anyone wanting an in-depth look into the inner workings of the Great Northern crew during the tragedy, as well as the local people and passengers involved, about the accident,t and you have to watch this documentary! It answers many nagging questions surrounding the accident and digs into it with a blow-by-blow account. It is a Pacific Northwest catastrophe that should never be forgotten. The documentary takes you back to times when communication was infantile and certainly unreliable. The unsurmountable complications James O'Neill and his crew tackled were nothing short of miraculous given the circumstances and problematic weather they were enduring. As I like to say, there is always more to the story- and this production addresses the situation perfectly.
Deborah Cuyle, author of The 1910 Wellington Disaster.
History Link Newsletter
History Link Newsletter
History Link Newsletter
Crashing Down
This week in 1910 incessant snowfall prevented two trains bound from Spokane to Seattle from proceeding past the town of Wellington, close to Stevens Pass. On February 28 the snow turned to rain, and at 1:42 a.m. on March 1, thunderstorms dislodged a half-mile-wide snow shelf high above. Wet snow and ice roared down the hills
Crashing Down
This week in 1910 incessant snowfall prevented two trains bound from Spokane to Seattle from proceeding past the town of Wellington, close to Stevens Pass. On February 28 the snow turned to rain, and at 1:42 a.m. on March 1, thunderstorms dislodged a half-mile-wide snow shelf high above. Wet snow and ice roared down the hillside, gathering boulders, trees, and stumps along its deadly path. The avalanche barely missed the town of Wellington, but slammed into the two trains. Locomotives, carriages, and 125 passengers and crew members were swept down the mountainside in what became the deadliest avalanche disaster in U.S. history.
The gruesome task of retrieving the mangled bodies -- 96 in all -- from the wreckage was directed by Great Northern Railway Superintendent James H. O'Neill, who days earlier had led an unsuccessful effort to clear the tracks and free the trains from their alpine prison. Great Northern boss and "Empire Builder" James J. Hill monitored events from his offices in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Later that year Wellington was renamed Tye, to disassociate it from the horrific disaster. The depot closed after a new tunnel was built in the Cascades in 1929, and the town eventually faded away into memory. The disaster site and old railroad grade were reclaimed by the forest, but thanks to the efforts of Ruth Ittner and her hardy band of volunteers, you can explore the area by hiking the Iron Goat Trail, which opened in 1993.
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Avalanche! The 1910 Great Northern Railway Disaste
