The Great Northern Railroad Avalanche | Buried Deep | 2

0:00Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of Against the Odds early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. A listener note. Against the Odds uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, may be invented. But everything is based on research.

0:26Widow Ida Starrett knocks on the door of the small office near the front of the Seattle Express. She shifts her eight-month-old son Francis in her arms while she waits. Outside, a bitter wind rattles the snow-covered windows of the train car. The door opens, and the conductor, Joseph Pettit, smiles warmly. Mrs. Starrett, hello. Can we talk? Yes, of course. Come in. It's 10 a.m. on Friday, February 25, 1910. For two days, Starrett and 54 other passengers aboard the Seattle Express have been stuck high in the Cascade Range of Washington. A raging snowstorm has buried the tracks ahead of them. A mail train and a few hundred railroad workers are trapped here as well.

1:14Pettit leads Starrett to a chair. She sits down as Francis squirms. It's so terrible about the avalanche. Yes, it's truly terrible. We're all shaken up. Last night at 4am, an avalanche struck the beanery, a ramshackle mess hall on the other side of a nearby tunnel. The beanery's cook, Harry Elliker, and his assistant were swept off the side of the mountain. Starrett and her children had eaten at the beanery just yesterday. Elliker had been so kind, especially to her son Raymond, and now he's dead. Starrett shudders thinking about it. The Seattle Express had been parked next to the beanery all day yesterday.

1:58They're lucky their train moved to a town called Wellington on the other side of the tunnel last night. Otherwise, she and her three children would all be dead. Starrett is on the edge of panic. Her husband was recently killed in a work accident, and it feels like death is chasing her. She needs to get her kids off this mountain. I just need to know when we'll be moving again. Within a few hours, Mrs. Starrett. I'm confident. Starrett feels a flash of annoyance go through her. He's said that a half dozen times in the past two days. Well, shouldn't we wait in the tunnel? That would be safer. Pettit shakes his head.

2:39He explains that the tunnel is full of water. People would have to wade through it to get to the hotel in Wellington to eat. Some of the older folks on board couldn't handle that. Plus, inside the tunnel, the smoke from burning the coal that heats the cars would choke them. Starok presses him. We can carry food back to those who can't make it through the water, and surely breathing a little smoke is better than being buried alive in an avalanche. Look, I know you're scared, but in the whole history of Wellington, there's never been a slide where we are now. We're safe. But what about the beanery?

3:14Had there ever been a slide there? Pettit's smile falters. Well, no, but the geography over there is different. Avalanches occur where there are gullies in the slope above. There's no gully above us here. Starrett doesn't have a response to that. Pettit places a hand on her shoulder. Have you noticed that several of the railroad workers are sleeping in this train at night? Starrett nods. Well, do you think they would do that if they thought we were in danger? Before Starrett can answer, Frances starts to cry. On the way back to her compartment, Pettit's words echo in her head. Each argument for why they shouldn't retreat into the tunnel makes sense, but she can't shake her worry.

3:56Through the window of the train car, she peers up the mountain. The snow is piled so high, she's not even sure where the ground is. It feels like a guillotine is hovering over the mall, and she can't shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen.

4:30From Audible Originals, I'm Mike Corey, and this is Against the Odds.

4:43In February 1910, one of the worst blizzards on record hit Washington State's Cascade Range. The storm stranded two trains and several hundred people just west of the Stevens Pass tunnel, an isolated spot high in the mountains. Railroad crews worked valiantly to clear the tracks, but with foot after foot of snow falling, the task proved impossible. After word reached them of a deadly avalanche on the east side of the pass, the passengers were afraid that Wellington was next. Even as railroad officials assured them that the risk was small, tensions grew and tempers flared. And all the while, the snow kept piling higher on the slopes above them.

5:26This is Episode 2, Buried Deep.

5:38Railroad Superintendent James O 'Neill studies the injured men sitting in the lobby of the Baylitz Hotel in Wellington, Washington. He sighs in disgust. This is the last thing he needs. It's 6 a.m. on Saturday, February 26, 1910. The snowstorm is approaching its hundredth hour, a record duration for the Cascades. O 'Neill is here because several of his shovelers got into a fight last night and destroyed some property. One man is lying on a sofa, his shoulder in a sling. Two others have broken fingers. Another man's eyes are swollen shut. None of them are fit for work. O 'Neill shakes his head.

6:23These shovelers are causing him so many headaches. He's heard rumblings that many of them are unhappy with the harsh conditions and want to raise. O 'Neill turns to the hotel's owner, W.R. Baylitz. I hear some furniture got damaged. Yep, two chairs broken. Plus, they cracked a display in the general store. On behalf of Great Northern, I apologize. We will reimburse you. Just then, a train whistle sounds. It must be one of the rotary plows returning. Hours late. O 'Neill buttons up his coat and hurries outside, shooting one last angry glare at the shovelers. At the plow, he climbs up into the engine and finds conductor J.J.

7:07Dowling. What took you so long? I thought you'd be back hours ago. Yes, well, there were three new snow slides on the track, and we had to work slow. We didn't want to damage another plow blade. O 'Neill sighs. Dowling made the right call, but his frustration remains. Given how long it took the plow to return, the track is probably already full of drifts again. It's as if their hard work is futile, but there's nothing to do but keep going. O 'Neill claps Dowling on the shoulder. I'm sorry, but I do need you to go back out. The storm has to break soon, and we need to get the tracks ready. Well, we can't.

7:48We're out of coal. The news hits O 'Neill like a punch in the gut. How many more things can go wrong? But he knows of a solution. There are stashes of coal elsewhere in Wellington. The helper trains have some, as does another engine sitting idle here. There are small bins in a motor shed too. It could cause problems later if there isn't enough coal for those engines, but he can't worry about that now. Okay, we'll take the coal from the helper engines and motor shed and put it into the plow. Dowling looks surprised, but that's only for emergencies. That's what we're facing. With that, O 'Neill climbs off the engine and sets off in the falling snow to find men to help transfer the coal.

8:34He's barely slept over the past four days, or had a proper meal. But he can't rest now. This snow is worse than he's ever seen it before, and he's going to get these trains off the mountain, no matter what he has to do.

8:56What do you think he's going to say? Do you think he'll actually be forthright with us? I don't know. I'm not sure. He has to say something. Ida Starrett ducks into the parlor car of the Seattle Express and searches for a seat in the packed car. Louis Jessiff, an attorney from Spokane, hops up. Mrs. Starrett, please take my seat. Tell me, how are your children holding up? They're fine, thank you. The truth is, they're holding up better than she is. They're bored, certainly, but some passengers have pitched in to entertain them with snowball fights and games of dress-up. A few of them were even generous enough to watch them tonight, so Starrett can attend this meeting.

9:36It's 5pm on Saturday, February 26th. Conductor Joseph Pettit has called a meeting to discuss their predicament. No one knows what he's going to say, but there are rumors he plans to reverse the train into the tunnel. Starrett sure hopes so. It's the only way she'll feel safe from the threat of an avalanche. Wait, what are they doing? Are they leaving? Where are you fellas going? They can't be leaving. What's happening right now? Suddenly, there's a commotion. Passengers are pointing out the window. Starrett turns to look. Three shovelers are walking past, but instead of shovels, each is carrying a rucksack and bedroll.

10:14Jessup calls out through an open window to them. Hey, you there! Where are you going? One shoveler looks up and scowls. We're hiking home. I'll be damned if I ever lift another shovel for this company. Starrett feels her heart pound. Without shovelers digging out the train, they won't be able to move, even if the plows do clear the track. At last, Conductor Pettit arrives. Before he can say anything, Louis Jessiff points outside. Those shovelers are walking off the job. What's going on? Yes, there are a few disgruntled men in the ranks. Malcontents. But we've got things under control. In fact, I am confident we'll be pulling out by nightfall.

10:56Oh, come off it. Don't feed us that line again. Several passengers jeer. Starrett doesn't join in, but she agrees. Pettit's empty reassurances are grating. Pettit holds out his hands, urging people to quiet down. Yes, I know, but listen, the rotary plows are making good progress. Superintendent O 'Neill himself has joined the plow west of here for the final push. He's personally overseeing things. Hearing that, comms star it a little. Others seem encouraged as well. The smile returns to Pettit's face. So things are looking up, right? Right? Just one more small bit of news. Given the situation with supplies here in Wellington, starting tomorrow, the hotel will only be serving two meals a day.

11:42Two meals? You just said we were leaving tonight. I can't believe it. This can't be true. The parlor explodes and protests. The angry voice of paper salesman Henry White cuts through the din. Oh, come on. Give us the truth, Pettit. Out of one side of your mouth, you tell us we'll be moving soon. Out of the other, you tell us things are so dire we need to ration food. Which one is it? Yes, yes, I understand. But the rationing is simply a precaution. Given the off chance, we can't get out of here tonight. But there is nothing to worry about. But this doesn't placate anyone. Several passengers storm out.

12:18Starrett slumps in her seat. With the shovelers walking off and the sudden news of food rationing, it seems like there is plenty to worry about.

12:32Superintendent James O 'Neill shields his face against the bracing wind with his coat sleeve. He wipes his eyes, trying to make out Wellington ahead. But all he sees is whipping white snow, and beyond that, nothing but blackness. He knows the town must be close, but as he pulls his coat tight, he can't help but feel nervous. It's 10 p.m. on Saturday, February 26th. An hour ago, things were looking up. O 'Neill was on a rotary plow, and he and the conductor were making good progress clearing the track. He figured the path to scenic hot springs would be open in an hour or two. This nightmare was almost behind him.

13:16O 'Neill even began daydreaming about home, embracing his pregnant wife, bouncing his young daughter on his knee. Then everything fell apart. The plow came upon yet another giant snow slide on the track. O 'Neill jumped down to inspect it. It was 20 feet high, higher than the top of the rotary plow, and, poking out from the snowpack, were massive tree trunks, sheared off by the avalanche. O 'Neill groaned in dismay. He had already lost one plow to a tree stump and couldn't afford to lose another. All those trees would need to be dug out by hand and rolled down the slope. O 'Neill estimated it would take at least 48 hours.

14:00He ordered the crew to stay with the plow and add coal to the boiler now and then. Otherwise, the engines would take hours to warm up again later. In the meantime, he was hiking the mile and a half back to Wellington to summon the shovelers. But first, he needs to find Wellington in this blizzard. He wonders fleetingly if he somehow passed it. But no, that's impossible. His mind is playing tricks on him. Finally, after 20 more minutes, he sees dim lights ahead of him. Wellington. At last, he picks up the pace, heading straight for the brick station. He can't remember the last time he ate, and his feet are killing him.

14:40He hasn't washed in days. It dawns on him that he must look terrible. He enters the station to see two men inside. One is his second-in-command, Arthur Blackburn. But O 'Neill is surprised to see the other man. It's the foreman of the shovelers. Blackburn hurries forward to take O 'Neill's coat. I'm so sorry, but he insisted on meeting with you. It's fine, Arthur. However exhausted he is, O 'Neill figures it's best to deal with any problems now. He strides forward to meet the foreman, his hand extended. So what's this about, Mr. Jacobson, I believe? Jacobson does not extend his hand in return.

15:21I'm sure you heard that some of my men quit. I did. Well, let me tell you, you'll be down a lot more if you don't boost our pay. Mr. Jacobson, I appreciate that this operation would be impossible without you and your crew, so I am prepared to give you a hazard pay boost. Right now, you get 15 cents per hour minus food. I will boost that to 20 cents per hour and provide food for free until both these trains are safely off the mountain. How's that? O 'Neill studies Jacobson's face, expecting to see a smile. Instead, the foreman shakes his head no. My men want 50 cents an hour. O 'Neill's jaw drops in spite of himself.

16:0250 cents per hour for shoveling? He tells Jacobson to be reasonable, but the foreman says that's their final offer. They will not go lower. O 'Neill is suddenly furious. Who do these men think they are? Do they have any sense of loyalty? Of duty? Do they not care about the passengers? He knows that exhaustion is probably getting the better of him, but he can't help himself. Are you telling me that we are in an emergency and all you care about is gouging me? I will not go one cent higher, and if you or your men don't like it, you can all get out. Jacobson looks stunned. He doesn't move until O 'Neal barks at him again.

16:44Jacobson's face twists in rage. Well, then, we're out of here. Good luck without us. He walks through the door, slamming it behind him. With Jacobson gone, Blackburn pipes up. What are we going to do now? O 'Neal doesn't bother answering. He doesn't know. His plow can't get past the avalanche on the track, and now there are no shovelers to clear the trees. No matter how hard things have gotten this week, he's always had another card he could play. But this time, he's out of options.

17:34Conductor Joseph Pettit jumps at the knock on his office door. He opens it to find lawyer Louis Jessoff and a few other passengers there, including a blunt, outspoken paper salesman named Henry White. Jessup gestures toward the parlor car. Sorry to interrupt, but could you speak to us just for a minute? Pettit tries to summon his winningest smile, but he's nervous. He glances at the clock. It's 11 p.m. on Saturday, February 26, 1910. He fears the passengers are here to confront him. And the truth is, he does not know what to tell them. He's been promising them they'll be moving soon for days now, and deep down he knows that he's been feeding them a line this whole time, and now he can't even convince himself it's true.

18:24Between the snow and the shovelers quitting, and the challenges the rotary plows face, the chances of them leaving any time in the next two days are slim. But what else can he say? With the telegraph lines down, people are already on edge, isolated from their loved ones, and by the looks of some passengers, the fear in their eyes, they could easily start to panic. Despite his reluctance, he agrees to talk with Jessup and the others. They head over to the parlor. On the way, Pettit hears an ominous noise, the rumble of another snow slide, this time punctuated by the crack of snapping trees. Pettit hopes the other passengers didn't hear, but as soon as they sit, Louis Jessup points outside.

19:11That's the third one tonight. Why haven't we shifted the train into the tunnel? I've already been over this with the other passengers. We can't heat the train inside of the tunnel because we'll choke on the fumes. There's also standing water in there, and not everyone can walk to the hotel for the meals. I understand, but we can just bundle up at night. And the weather's getting warmer anyway. And why not just move the train into the tunnel and then pull it out at mealtimes? Because, well, there are issues here to consider. What issues? For starters, the rotary plows. They've been burning through coal at a pretty high clip.

19:44Okay, and? And, well, we might run out soon, but please keep this quiet. I don't want to alarm anyone, but we barely have enough coal to heat us for the next few days. Pettit can see Jessup is startled. He regrets saying anything and tries to reassure him. But before he can, a furious Henry White jumps to his feet. This is unbelievable! Pettit feels himself flushing red. He hates confrontations. I tell you what, Mr. White, I'm going to find Superintendent O 'Neill first thing in the morning and talk with him. I'll see what we can do. Thankfully, that does the trick. White calms down. Pettit stands up to end the meeting and once again assures them that everything will be fine.

20:27But as he watches the passengers leave, Pettit wonders how much longer he can keep things under control.

20:40Superintendent James O 'Neill pulls his hat low as he and his two companions trudge forward along the tracks west of Wellington. He can feel that the weather is warmer this morning, but his body is so starved of calories that he still shivers. Suddenly, he steps on a rock concealed beneath the snow and stumbles. He grabs the arm of a man walking next to him to keep from falling. Whoa, you okay? Yes, yes, I'm fine. Let's keep going. It's early morning on Sunday, February 27th. Last night, at his wits' end, it finally dawned on O 'Neill. There simply wasn't anything more he could do in Wellington.

21:21He needs outside help. So he decided to hike down to scenic hot springs. His hope is that the telegraph lines there are still working. If they are, he can message the railroad to send more men, supplies, and equipment. Just one more rotary plow clearing the track from the west would be a huge help. But even if they can attack the massive snow slide from both sides, clearing it will take two days. So in the meantime, he wants to see if at least some passengers can hike out. So his journey this morning is doubling as a scouting trip. For support, O 'Neill brought along a brakeman named Gus Churchill and a railroad worker named Jerry Wickham.

22:03Wickham stands 6 '4 and weighs 300 pounds. He's there to barrel through any snowdrifts like an ox, creating a path for O 'Neill and Churchill. The warming weather has left the snow underfoot slushy and slick. O 'Neill's feet are cold and wet inside his soaked boots. After 10 more minutes of tramping behind Wickham, they reach the stranded rotary plow. O 'Neill left the crew there to keep its engine warm, in case it's needed. O 'Neill waves as they approach and checks with the conductor, J.J. Dowling. How you holding up? Well, it's a little nerve-wracking. We heard more slides last night. O 'Neill grimaces.

22:46The milder weather is welcome, but it's making the slopes more dangerous. He tells the plow crew to hang tight, then signals Wickham to lead on. Twenty yards past the plow is the slide that stopped their progress. They scamper up, and while Wickham pushes forward, O 'Neill and Churchill hang back. O 'Neill needs to size it up so he can calculate how many shovelers it'll take to dig out all these trees. A noise interrupts him. A few yards ahead, to his right, a massive sheet of snow suddenly gives way and slides down the mountain. O 'Neill and Churchill are far enough back to be safe. Jerry Wickham is not so lucky.

23:25He may be big, but compared to the avalanche, he is tiny. He barely has time to scream before the snow swallows him. O 'Neill watches in horror and yells out Wickham's name, but it does no good. The last O 'Neill sees of Wickham is the big man's outstretched arm poking up through the snow, fingers clawing at the air before it disappears over the edge. O 'Neill darts left and drops to his knees. His heart is pounding as he crawls as close to the edge as he dares. Jerry! Jerry! Where are you? Jerry! Jerry! There's no response. And there's no sign of him below. Just pure white. O 'Neill sits back and drops his head into his hands.

24:10He's determined to keep hiking down to scenic hot springs. But there's no way the passengers on the train can follow him. It's simply just too dangerous. That's three men dead now in the past three days. And O 'Neill fears that it will not be the last.

24:34Lawyer Louis Jessoff steps down from the Seattle Express train onto the snowy ground. Fellow attorney John Merritt follows a moment later. They pause to listen to the hymns from a few cars down. It's 9 a.m. on Sunday, February 27th. A preacher on board has gathered several dozen passengers and railroad workers for a service. It's a nice gesture, but Jessup feels that God helps those who help themselves. And he's figured out a plan to extricate himself from danger up here in Wellington. He no longer trusts that the railroad can keep him safe. And he's not alone. He nods to Merritt, and they start fighting their way through the large drifts of snow toward the hotel.