The White Cascade: The Great Northern Railway Disaster & America's Deadliest Avalanche - Historical Nonfiction Book for True Story Lovers, Perfect for Winter Reading & American History Enthusiasts
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Product Description
"Krist does wonders . . . [He] describes the frantic rescue efforts . . . and the malevolent, unending storm. In a thrilling, climactic chapter, he conjures forth the avalanche."―The New York TimesIn February 1910, a monstrous, record-breaking blizzard hit the Northwest. Nowhere was the danger more terrifying than near a tiny town called Wellington, perched high in the Cascade Mountains, where a desperate situation evolved: two trainloads of cold, hungry passengers and their crews found themselves marooned. For days, an army of the Great Northern Railroad's most dedicated men worked to rescue the trains, but just when escape seemed possible, the unthinkable occurred―a colossal avalanche tumbled down, sweeping the trains over the steep slope and down the mountainside. Centered on the astonishing spectacle of our nation's deadliest avalanche, The White Cascade is the masterfully told story of a never-before-documented tragedy.
Customer Reviews
The White Cascade by Gary Krist, is an exceptional piece of written history. As previously said it reads, as a novel with suspense and characters full of emotion and detail yet the amazing thing is that this is no novel but history told at its best. This is the story of the 1910 avalanche that swept two snow bound trains off the high mountains tracks of Steven's Pass in Western Washington and took at least 96 lives. An amazing tale that history buffs, train lovers, and those interested in Washington's past cannot pass up. The people and rationalization are very clear through the book and a reader can sympathize with each person and their attempts to avoid the inevitable. James O'Neal seems to exude super human strength to free the trains. The Great Northern Railway is seen both a human personal light by the workers along with O'Neal yet also as the uncaring industrial company as it maneuvers to avoid lawsuits after the accident. In the end, it is seen as unavoidable and led to the building of the 8-mile tunnel still in use through the cascades. I have finished this book as the 100th anniversary of this tragic event nears, and am amazed that being born, raised and worked in Washington State most of my life I had no idea of this event. It is sad that the only monument to these victims and the people who gave everything to save them is the cold concrete of the tunnel and snow sheds forgotten in the trees of Steven's Pass. An excellent book and piece of Washington State and Railroad history that needs to be remembered.
