EVENING EDITION
EVENING EDITION
WEATHER REPORT
"ss
Occasional rain- tonight
and Thursday.
Calling cards, wed
ding stationery, com
mercial stationery and
job printing to order
at the East Orcgonlan.
COUNTY OFFICIAL PAPER.
CITY OFFICIAL PAPER.
VOL. 23.
PENDLETON, OIIEGON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2. 1910.
NO 683
u r:t 'm . 11 i i
AVALANCHE SWEEPS TRAINS
OVER BRINK OF PRECIPICE
OVER SCORE OF PASSENGERS KILLED IN EALL
Great Mass of Snow, Ice, Stones and Trees Precipitated
Upon Two Great Northern Trains.
Terrllilo Avalanche Sweep Down Mountainside at Wellington, Washing
ton, Carrying Witii It Spokane Ex press and Overland Mall Train to not.
torn of Canyon, 200 Feet Below Over Score of Sleeping Passengers
Are Known to Have Met Death So One Escapes Injury in Am fid
' Catastrophe Superintendent O'N ell's Private Car In Wreck Rut Offi
cial Escapes Great Slide Did Much Other Damage,
Seattle, March 2. The traffic
manager of the Great Northern
officially announced this-after-
noon that 25 persons are dead.
From 16 to 25 are missing and
12 were Injured In the Welltng-
ton avalanche. The Great
Northern has a man struggling
through the snow from Welling-
ton to Scenic Hot Springs,
where ho will telegraph the list
of the dead. The man had not
reached Scenic at 1 o'clock.
Everett, Wash., March 2. Twenty
three bodies recovered, twenty-five
still missing and twenty Injured Is the
summary of today's casualties In the
cnowsllde that swept two Great
Northern passenger trains down the
mountainside at Wellington early yes
terday. Two trains, three engines,
four electric motors, one rotary and
Superintendent O'Neill's private car
were hurled to the bottom of the deep
canyon at the west portal of a tun
nel. Though the slide occurred at 4
In the morning It was 10:60 before the
passenger train could be. located, so
enormous was the volume of enow and
debris. Everything was completely
burled.
Reports that Wellington also was
wept away by the (Slide are erroneous.
The two principal buildings In the
village, the depot and hotel, are stand
ing and no damage was done to them.
Trains were all standing on the side
tracks a few hundred yards from the
station.
News from the sccno of the catas
trophe Is coming In slowly owing to
the blockaded condition of the tracks
and the prostration of telegraph wires.
Passengers Feared Slide.'
John S. Rogers, a real estate man,
who with nine others struggled
through the drifts from the stalled
train, told the following story today:
"By the time we reached the moun
tain the trnin had about seventy pas
sengers aboard. Early Wednesday
morning we were stopped at the east
portal of the Cascade tunnel end stay
ed there until Friday. On Friday
night we left the east portal and a
few hours later an avalanche wiped
out the bunkhouso, killing two men.
We pulled through the tunnel as far
as Wellington. Sunday we noticed on
top of an old switchback far above
us an enormous cap of snow hanging
precariously on the side and clinging
to -sparse timber. On the same day I
saw a slide coming down on the east
side of the hotel, carrying timber
with It In a great avalanche of snow.
That night there was another slide
which filled the fifty-foot gullies. We
began to fear for the safety of the
train. The menace of that Immense
nowcap was a pall on our spirits. It
was the most enormous accumulation
of snow ever known In the mountains.
During all of the time we were there
It snowed continuously with terrific
winds driving drifts."
The Dead and Injured.
Those reported dead are Train
master A. I Blackburn, Everett; A.
C. Longcoy, secretary to Superintend
ent O'Neill, Everett; Lewis Walter,
Everett
The seriously Injured Fireman J.
D. Kurdee.
Slightly injured Engineers Os
borne, F. S. Martin, Carroll, Jergen
en and D. E. Techtmeler of Everett;
Firemen Glllman, Bennington, Jinks,
Meuk, E. A. Bates and Fred Nelson;
Conductor M. A. White; , Brakeman
Ross: Mall Clerk A. H. Hurdsell;
Porters A. S. Smith and L. Anderson,
and Trainmaster W. Harrington.
Trains Piled on Ton Each Other,
The wrecked trains lie plied on top
of each other 200 feet below the sld
lng upon which they stood when the
avalanche awed over them. The
f T m
cars were crushed Into kindling wood
and no one on the trains escaped in
jury. The slide filled the shelf upon
which the tracks at Wellington are
laid and rolled over the edge on down
the mountainside Into the valley be
low. The danger from slides Is not
over. Warm weather In the moun
tains Is melting the snow and fre
quently an avalanche is heard thun
dering down the mountains. Not far
from the scene of the disaster a slide
four miles long rushed down Into the
canyon yesterday afternoon. The
snow la 18 feet deep on the level and
In the canyons it is piled up in drifts
more than 60 feet deep.
Most of the dead are believed to
have been passengers on the west
bound Spokane express, which " has
been stalled In the mountains since
February 24. The other train was a
fast transcontinental mail. It car
ried no passengers. The names of
the passengers on the stalled train
are not known here and wire trou
hlo In the mountains has Interrupt
ed communication with the scene of
tho disaster. The two trains were In
charge of Conductors Pnrzybock and
Pettitt, both of Everett. ' The fate of
tho train crews is not known.
O'Neill Escapes Injury.
It Is feared that A. E. Longcoy, Su
perintendent O'Nolll's rrivate secre
tary, is among the dead. He was in
tho private car which was burled and
tho messages received here make no
monition of hi escape. Superintend
ent O'Neill, who has beeh directing
the work of fighting the snow block
ade for the last ten days was not In
the car when the slide occurred and
escaped Injury.
The avalanche swept down the
mountainside shortly after 4 o'clock
in the morning. It was half a mile
long and the snow, loose stones and
uprooted trees were piled several feet
deep. Most of the passengers In the
train were asleep and received no
warning of the danger. The trains
and locomotives were completely
buried in the debris from the moun
tainside and it was six hours after the
avalanche before the rescue parties
made up from workers sent to attack
tho snowdrifts located them. Willing
hands at once proceeded to the task
of demovlng the bodies of the dead.
Aid Loaves Everett.
An appeal was sent at once to Ev
erett for help and a train load of phy
sicians and rescuers was started for
the scene. Owing to previous slides
which have blocked the line and car
ried out sections of track the rescue
train can go only as far as Scenic.
Wellington is at the west portal of the
Cascade tunnel and Is one thousand
feet above Scenic and almost directly
over tho Utile resort. If the rescuers
follow the tortuous windings of the
railroad as It climbs tho mountain
side they will have to walk ten miles,
but they can by taking a mountain
trail cut off this distance to ' three
miles. A second rescue train con
taining a wrecking outfit and addi
tional workers and undertakers left
Everett at 8 o'clock last night.
Power House Destroyed.
Reports received here say that the
Great Northern's power house, which
furnishes electric power to operate
trains through the Cascade tunnel, the
depot and water tanks were swept
away by tho avalanche, and that the
railroad boarding house was badly
wrecked. A number of the dead and
injured are railroad men and residents
of Wellington. .
The Spokane express has been stall
ed nt Wellington since last Thursday,
Tho passengers have been eating at
tho railroad eating house and at near
by cottages, but have returned to the
Pullmans to spend the night.
Two days ago, several of the pas
sengers, fearing a catastrophe of this
kind, asked Superintendent O'Neill
to have the train moved back into
(Continued on pare 1.)
D
f
E
AYERS SELLS INTEREST
IX RICH BAKER MINK
Xew York Capitalists Acquire Con- J Harry Kay and Cleveland Gould are
trol of Gold Coin Mine In Which Io- j Miscreants Were Employed by In
cal People Are Interested Otlier tllan Stolen Procrty Found In
Stockholders Sell. i Their Possession.
One of the largest mining deals ' Charged with plundering an Indian
ever made in eastern Oregon Is re- camp of everything of value they
ported by Tom Ayres of this city.. The cculd lay their hands on, Harry Ray
deal represents about $750,000 and and Cleveland Gould are now occu
Includes a controlling Interest In the pying cells In the county Jail. As
Gold Coin mine in Baker county. they were caught with much of their
Nearly all the stock has been owned plunder in their possession when they
by 'Pendleton people, but the new leave the Jail It will probably be lo
owners are New York capitalists. , go to the state penitentiary at Sa-
Mr. Ayers held the controlling in- lem.
terest In the mine and this Is what ' The two young men are about 19 or
has been sold though all the other 20 years of age and had been employ
stockholders have the privilege of let- ed by Captain Sumklns, the Indian
tin, their stock go under the same policeman, to cut wood. While en
conditions to the same people. It gaged in this work they were staying
was for this purpose that Mr. Ayres with Mrs. White Bull, the well-known
returned to Pendleton. It is under- Indian woman whose camp is near
stood that most of the local holders the reservation line, Just east of the
of stock are selling and according to'cfty..
Mr. Ayers they are all making 150 j it is ayeged that while the squaw
per cent or more on their Invest-' anj the other Indians were away
ment. from the camp that the two white
Ayres will return to Portland in a woodehoppers entered the camp, and
day or two to close up the transaction. toolt everything in sight that was loose
AX 1XFAXT TRAGEDY.
Pendleton Indian robes, four new
Little Girl Slaps 3-Yenr-Old Brother, shawls, a watch and chain and a ring.
Who Retaliates by Burning Her They also took a suit and half of
to Doutli. ! 'clothes two shirts, a hat and finally
Kansas City, March 2. Because wound up by taking a horse and brl
she slapped her baby brother, Doris die. All of these things were found
Blond, aged 5 years, is dead today In the possession of the accused men.
from burns when the little fellow, i Both have been lodged in the coun
only three years old, set fire to hor ty Jail though no formal charge has
dress In a spirit of revenge. The yet been preferred against them. They
children were playing in the nursery, will probably be given a hearing be
Th boy teased his sister, who slap- fore Justice of the Peace Joe H.
ped him. and the other seized a news-
paper, thrust it Into the open grate
and touched It to his sister's skirt.
She died within an hour. I
I
IRW'IX TO WRITE ARTICLES
i
OX AMERICAN NEWSPAPER
-
San Francisco. March 2. Will Ir- '
win, the newspaper man and maga- respond immediately when called for
zinc writer and author. Is heir to- a general strike. Leaders are pre
dny gathering material for a series ferring plans for calling the men out
of articles on the American newspa-
per and its relation to the times. He I It is not likely the street car corn
expects to spend several months on panics can recede from their refusal
the const making a study of his sub- to arbitrate. Pratt, Mitchell sad other
Jcet and will visit all -of the import-
ant cities of the northwest. He de-
nics he Intends muckraking.
Irwin says In a general way the
American newspaper Is rapidly
proving. Sensational Journalism is
going out of fashion. He doesn'j
know why, he says, but perhaps be-
cause the public is growing tired of
too mucn seasoning.
ATIIEXA ELECTS OFFICERS
IX SPIRITED CONTEST HELD
Athena. Ore., Mar. 2. The annual
city election was held yesterday and
Mayor 'McEwen was reelected. Chas.
Betts and George Gross were elected
councilmen. B. B. Richards, record
er, David Taylor, water commission
er, Byron Hawks, treasurer. The elec
tion was a very spirited one and the
total vote cast was larger than for
many years.
L. Swaggart, the Athena grower of
blooded hogs, returned home this
morning from his home at Athena and
is transacting business in this city.
Washington, Mar. 2. The expected
clash between Gifford Plnchot and
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson over
the disputed question as to whether
the secretary had given the former
forester permission to write to Sena
tor Polllver the letter which resulted
In Mr. Plnchot's 'dismissal, came yes
terday before the Ballinger- Plnchot
Investigating committee.
Mr. Pinchot declared he had Jls
cussed the matter at length with Sec
retary Wilson and that he understood
his superior, officer had given him
express permission to write to Sena
tor Dolliver.
Secretary Wilson Immediately took
the stand and asserted that while ho
had given Mr. Plnchot permission to
write to -Senator Dolliver concerning
"department affairs," he never did
and never would have given his per
mission , to write a letter criticising
the president of the United States.
Under cross-examination conducted
almost wholly by the democratic
members of the committee, Secretary
PINCHOT AND WILSON CLASH
AT BALLINCER INVESTIGATION
MUSES DEATH AND
WHITES ROB INDIAN
CAMPJOWIN JAIL
TWO YOUTHS TAKE ALL
OF REDMEX'S VALUABLES
or had any value. They broke up a
trunk and took four beautiful new
Parker, tomorrow.
i(M(iis LIKE GENERAL
STRIKE TS IMMINENT
Philadelphia. Mar. 2. An unoffici-
al canvass of the ranks of union la-
bor here todry shows a great body of
union men and wnriVn are willing to
Sunday.
leaders will confer this evening with
Eueene V. Dehbs In a final effort to
find a way to avert a general strike.
I
tm-'p.TTEX SAYS SPECULATION
I " '" IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
xew York, Mar. 2. "Speculation Is
the spice of life," said Wheat King
Patten today as he was departing for
Europe. "There's nothing like tak-
lng chances. It keeps you young and
happy." He denied the report that
he would retire within a short time
and says it is Impossible to corner the
wheat market.
NEWS OF HIS DISMISSAL
KILLS NEGRO POSTMASTER
Edwards, Miss., March ' 2. The
shock caused by the news that he had
been supplanted as postmaster here
is believed to have killed E. B. Per
kins, the only negro postmaster in
the United States When told the
president had appointed a white man
to fill his place, Perkins fell uncon
scious and died In a short time.
Wilson was uncertain as to Just what
passed between himself and the for
ester and became somewhat mixed as
to Just what letter the committee
men referred to In their rapid fire of
questions. The secretary repeatedly
said he never saw or heard of the let
ter Mr. Pinchot wrote until It was
read In the senate.
Mr. Pinchot declared that he and
Secretary Wilson went so far as to
discuss the executive order issued by
President Taft forbidding subordi
nates of the various departments to
give information to congress, and ad
ded that the secretary said:
"You and I will have no trouble
about that order."
Admits Poor Memory.
Admitting that his memory failed
him as to certain points, Secretary
Wilson always came back to the state
ment that he never, under any cir
cumstances, would have given Mr.
Plnchot permission to write the letter
that caused his retirement from the
service.
FLOOD WATERS ARE RAGING
THROUGHOUT THE NORTHWEST
SEVERAL PERSONS LOSE
Reports From All Over Northwest Indicate High Water is
Threatening Life and Property.
Uniatilln River Is Rising at Rato of I ncli an Hour Water Less Than
Three Feet Below Great Flood of 1906 Two Men Drowned at Oaks
dale, Wash., and Another at Beverly Colfax Is Submerged Flood
Rages in Caldwell Streets of Davctvport Flooded Walla Walla la
Threatened at Many Points Garfield Is Flooded Worst Flood In the
History of Pullman Much Damage at Boise,
Kamela, Ore., March 2.
There has been a steady chl-
nook here for the past 36 hours.
About 12 Inches of snow has
gone off and eightenths of an
inch of rain has fallen in this
length ot time. The weather
at noon Is ca'm and cloudy but
no rain is falling. The snow
will continue to melt very fast
today.
The entire northwest Is floodswept
according to reports being received
from every section of the states of
Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Ap
parently Oregon is suffering the least
of the three states but conditions in
this state are hourly growing more
serious. Telegraph and telephone as
well as railway lines are badly crip
pled in all directions and from pres
ent Indications no permanent relief
can be expected for many hours. Ap
parently not satisfied with doing dam
age to property to the amount of
many hundreds of thousands of dol
lars the floods are also claiming hu
man lives as toll.
So far the Umatilla river has been
on Its good behavior but the water
has now reached a flood stage and Is
still rising rapidly. A continuance of
the present warm wind and rains will
probably bring the water to a stage
rivaling the great high water mark of
four years ago, when the lower end of
the levee was washed away and many
families were compelled to move to
higher ground. There is not the, slight
est danger of a repetition of this dis
aster, however, for the levee is now
Ir. a condition to successfully ward off
from the city all the water that can
possibly come down the stream.
The ranchers in the lowlands are
not so fortunate, however, for many
farms are already partially inundated
and the river is half a mile in width
in many places. The line of the O. R.
& N. from the town of Umatilla to the
top of the mountain Is still Intact, but
It is threatened in scores of places
and is being watched carefully to pre
vent disasters. The higher the water
comes the more danger the road will
be In at the threatened points.
Traffic Demorallied.
The west end of the line Is badly
out of working order and traffic Is al
so shut off east of Huntington. The
only train to arrive yesterday from
the cast was a stub made up at Hunt
ington and containing one coach, one
baggage car and one mall car. An
other similar train passed through
this morning. Trains No. 2 and 8
were two and four hours late, respect
ively, last evening. While Nos. 8 and
10 from the west did not arrive to
day until afternoon and all trains
from the east are annulled. The Wash
ington division trains are being op
erated as far north as Walla Walla
only.
The Northern Pacific Is operating
trains to Pasco and from Pasco to
Walla Walla and Spokane, but its oth
er lines are blockaded.
Two Men Drowned.
Report comes from Walla Walla
that Elder Wodrell and Maurice O'
Brien of Tekoa were drowned In a
swollen stream at Oakesdale, Wash.,
at noon yesterday. With two compan
ions, L. D. Schwartz and L. F. De
Grote, they were driving home and
were warned not to attempt to cross
a bridge over which water was run
ning. They determined to cross, but
changed their minds, and In turning
their rig they were swept into the
stream. Schwartz and De Grote were
saved by persons on the' bank.
Ben Putnam, a member of a North
ern Pacific surveying crew, was swept
off a raft Into the Columbia river at
Beverly, Wash., yesterday and drown
ed. Because of the swift current his
Din
LIVES BY DROWNING
companions were unable
to rescue
him. .
Colfax Under Water.
At Co'.fax, Wash., people are flea
lng from their hones and places of
business in order to get beyond the
reach of the roaring waters of the
Palouse. The main thoroughfare of
that city is under water to a depth of
five feet and the waters continue to
rise.
At Caldwell, Idaho, a flood is ra
ging. Damage amounting to 1300,009
has been done and a report to this
city last night was that the water
were still continuing to increase In
their fury.
At Davenport, Wash., a stream run
ning through the town rose rapidly
yesterday afternoon and the business
streets are flooded. It Is estimated
that damage will be done to the ex
tent of 115,000.
Settlers Driven to Hills.
Rising waters in Cowiche creek,
near North Yakima, have caused set
tlers to move out their household
goods and take refuge in the hills. -
Garfield. Wash., is flooded. Silver
creek overflowed at noon yesterday
and waters have spread through the
business district. Ground floors of of
fices and stores are several Inches un
der water. Trains on the Northern
Pacific and the Oregon Railroad it
Navigation and the Inland Electric
lines are stalled by washouts. Many
thousand dollars worth of property
in Whitman county is damaged.
Wenatchee, Wash., Is practically
isolated from the outside world. Great
torrents of water are rushing down
from the-hills and doing immense
damage.
At Pullman Wash, the flood has
been the worst in history. City streets
in some places are five or six feet un
der water. Six bridges were washed
away today. For a time yesterday
the water rose at the rate of two feet
! an hour rushing through Main street
and deluging the stores. The dam
age will reach many thousands of dol
lars. Boise Idaho is hit hard, damage
amounting to $50,000 has already
been done there.
Wallace, Idaho, from whence the
first news of the Mace avalanche
came, has been cut off entirely. All
wires to that city went down about
3 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
Walla Walla in Flood's Grip.
Last night was one of unrest In
Walla Walla. Up among the hills at
the headgates of the city water works.
Superintendent Richard McLean and
half a hundred men battled with the
turbulent waters of Mill creek while
guards were stationed at each, bridge
in that city, armed with a lantern and
long Iron hook, the latter used to
pull debris from the creek in order
not to gie it an opportunity to lodge
against the bridges.
, Where the Yellow Hawk branches
from Mill creek is a pier projecting
out into the stream intended to divert
40 per cent of the water from Mill
creek Into the other stream. Those
who witnessed the installation of this
I work say it is unlikely that this will
be washed out, but should it give away
! property would suffer greatly.
Reports from all along the foothills
are that bridges have been washed
away., and there is no semblance of
wnat were once roads. Fields are
flooded.
The mountains seem to fcs verita
ble spring, ever pouring forth water
from crag and crevice to rush down
upon the lowlands spreading disosten
and ruin.
Walla Walla River Steady,
j Reports from along the Walla Wal-
la river at a late hour last night were
tnat an immediate danger of that riv
er flooding its banks was over at least
for the time being. The water was
running bank full until a late hour last
evening when it showed :gns of receding.
(Continued on page I.)