Illustration of an avalanche of snow crashing into a train
Illustration by Colin Anderson
Narrative Nonfiction,

White Death in the Cascades

The true story of the Wellington Avalanche of 1910

By Lauren Tarshis
From the September 2022 Issue

Learning Objective: to explore key ideas and details in a narrative nonfiction article 

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose
    The article tells the true story of the Wellington Avalanche of 1910, the deadliest avalanche in American history. It also provides information about train travel in the U.S. in that time period.
  • Structure
    The article weaves together narrative and informational passages. Text features include maps, sidebars, photographs, and captions.
  • Language Conventionality and Clarity
    Vocabulary: Contains higher-level vocabulary such as loom, obliterate, careen, lurk, encroachment, telegraph, and snowpack.
  • Knowledge Demands
    The article refers to Washington State, the Cascade Mountains, a canyon, a blizzard, avalanches, snowplows, motorcars, wagons, buggies, a telegraph operator, Native American nations and tribes, and immigrants.
Lexiles: 860L, 730L
Featured Skill: Key Ideas and Details,
Other Key Skills: text structure, setting, author’s craft
Common Core Standards
  • R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.5, R.7, W.2, W.4, SL.1, L.4, L.5, L.6
  • Grade 6
    RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.3, RI.6.4, RI.6.5, W.6.2, W.6.4, SL.6.1, SL.6.2, L.6.4, L.6.5, L.6.6
  • Grade 7
    RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.3, RI.7.4, RI.7.5, RI.7.8, W.7.2, W.7.4, SL.7.1, SL.7.2, L.7.4, L.7.5, L.7.6
  • Grade 8
    RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.3, RI.8.4, RI.8.5, W.8.2, W.8.4, SL.8.1, SL.8.2, L.8.4, L.8.5, L.8.6
TEKS Standards
  • Grades 6, 7, 8
    1c, 1d, 2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h, 5i, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i, 6j (grade 8 only) 8d, 8f, 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, 9e, 9f, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 12d, 12e, 12f, 12g, 12i, 12j

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  • 860L
  • 730L
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Reading Level (730L)
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AS YOU READ

Look for vivid language that helps the reader imagine the events of the story.

Would they ever escape from this train?

That’s what 8-year-old Raymond Starrett must have been wondering on the night of February 28, 1910. For six days, Raymond and his mother, Ida, along with dozens of others, had been trapped on a train in the middle of Washington State’s Cascade Mountains.

They’d been two-thirds of the way through a 300-mile journey across the state of Washington when their train, the Seattle Express, had collided with a ferocious blizzard. Snow gushed from the sky and blocked the tracks. Howling winds shook the train cars. 

“We’ll be moving shortly!” the conductor had promised. 

But the blizzard raged on and on . . . and on. Hours turned to days. And now, as Raymond and the other passengers bedded down for their sixth frigid night, passengers were fighting panic. Food was scarce. There was nothing to drink but melted snow. The cars reeked of clogged toilets and sweaty bodies. 

The frightened, exhausted passengers surely wondered when the nightmare would end. 

But in fact, the real nightmare was about to begin.

A few hours later, as Raymond and the others slept, massive hunks of snow broke loose from the steep mountainside that loomed above the stranded train. In the blink of an eye, the snow turned into a killer wave—a monstrous avalanche of snow, ice, boulders, and broken trees. It careened down the mountainside, obliterating everything in its path. 

And now this killer wave was heading straight for the train.

Would they ever escape from this train?

That’s what 8-year-old Raymond Starrett must have been wondering. It was the night of February 28, 1910. For six days, Raymond and his mother, Ida, had been trapped on the train. Dozens of other people were trapped with them in the middle of Washington State’s Cascade Mountains. 

They were two-thirds of the way through their journey across the state of Washington when their train, the Seattle Express, had run into a ferocious blizzard. Snow gushed from the sky. It blocked the tracks. Howling winds shook the train cars. 

“We’ll be moving shortly!” the conductor had announced. 

But the blizzard raged on and on . . . and on. Hours turned to days. And now, on their sixth freezing night, the passengers were fighting panic. Food was scarce. There was nothing to drink but melted snow. The cars stank of clogged toilets and sweaty bodies. 

The scared, exhausted passengers surely wondered when the nightmare would end. 

But in fact, the real nightmare was about to begin.

A few hours later, as Raymond and the others slept, huge hunks of snow broke away from the steep mountainside above the stranded train. In the blink of an eye, the snow turned into a killer wave—a monstrous avalanche of snow, ice, boulders, and broken trees. It careened down the mountainside, destroying everything in its path. 

And now this killer wave was heading straight for the train.

Scott Dawson ©2022 Scholastic Inc. 

The route of the Seattle Express

Land of Trains

Land of Trains

The week before, when the Seattle Express began its journey in the city of Spokane, Washington, few imagined that such a disaster could happen. Not in 1910! Not in the United States, the most modern country on the planet!

Raymond was growing up in a time when new inventions and ideas were changing American life. Booming cities glowed with new electric lights. New motorcars zipped past horses and buggies. Gleaming steel skyscrapers soared higher than the 1,000-year-old trees being chopped down to build new houses and factories. And rising above it all was the sound—whooo whooo!—of train whistles. Trains enabled Americans to journey almost anywhere in the country they wanted to go.

What a change from 80 years earlier, when the only way to travel across land was on foot or by horse. Back then, even traveling from one town to the next could take days. Cross-country journeys could take months—and dangers lurked everywhere. Rattlesnake bites. Wagon crashes. Grizzly bear attacks. Diseases caused by dirty water or rotten meat. Injury and death were not uncommon—which is why most Americans stuck close to home. 

Until they could travel by train. 

The Seattle Express had begun its journey just the week before in the city of Spokane, Washington. Few thought that such a disaster could happen. Not in 1910! Not in the United States, the most modern country on the planet!

Raymond was growing up in a time when new inventions and ideas were changing life in America. Booming cities glowed with new electric lights. New motorcars zipped past horses and buggies. Shiny steel skyscrapers soared higher than the trees being chopped down to build new houses and factories. And rising above it all was the sound—whooo whooo!—of train whistles. Trains allowed Americans to go almost anywhere in the country.

What a change from 80 years earlier. Back then, the only way to travel across land was on foot or by horse. Even traveling from one town to the next could take days. Cross-country journeys could take months and were dangerous. Rattlesnake bites. Wagon crashes. Grizzly bear attacks. Diseases caused by dirty water or rotten meat. Injury and death were not uncommon. So most Americans stuck close to home. 

Until they could travel by train. 

Bettmann/Getty Images

Construction of the first railroad through the Sierra Nevada mountains, California, 1877

“Iron Horses”

“Iron Horses”

The first trains appeared in the U.S. in the 1830s. Nicknamed “iron horses,” these early trains were slow, rickety, and dangerous. But over the years, trains became faster, safer, and more comfortable. 

By 1910, some 240,000 miles of track crisscrossed America. Like veins rushing blood to your head and fingers and toes, railroads sped people and products to virtually every part of the country. A person could now travel from New York City to San Francisco in just four days. A farmer in California could pick an orange on Monday and a kid in Texas could be peeling that orange on Saturday. 

Indeed, railroads transformed America. They made it possible for businesses to sell clothes, toys, and other goods anywhere in the country. They allowed people to discover distant places and stay in touch with far-flung loved ones. Trains helped turn small towns like Seattle into bustling cities. 

But the expansion of railroads also came at a tragic cost. 

In the 1700s, the nonindigenous population in North America mostly lived on the East Coast. But starting in the 1800s, train travel enabled more and more people to move west—which led to more and more encroachment on and destruction of Native American lands. 

Then there were the harsh conditions that railroad builders faced. In the West, thousands of miles of tracks, tunnels, and bridges were constructed mostly by immigrants from China. In the Northeast, builders were largely immigrants from Ireland and Italy. And in the South, railroads were built almost entirely by enslaved Black men. Builders suffered hateful prejudice from many railroad bosses and workers. And the work itself was grueling and dangerous: clearing forests, blasting through mountains, laying tracks. Thousands died or were injured in accidents.

Railroad workers faced hardship too. Working on a train or at a railroad yard was one of the most dangerous jobs in America. Workers spent long shifts unloading goods, operating brakes, and maintaining tracks. One wrong move could mean the loss of a hand or foot—or worse. 

And finally, there were the unlucky passengers caught in the accidents that happened every year. Wooden bridges collapsed. Trains collided with motorcars and horses and even other trains. Steam engines exploded. Brakes failed. Train cars broke loose and plunged off cliffs. 

And, of course, there were avalanches. 

The first trains appeared in the U.S. in the 1830s. People called them “iron horses.” These early trains were slow, rickety, and dangerous. But over the years, trains became faster, safer, and more comfortable. 

By 1910, some 240,000 miles of track crisscrossed America. Like veins rushing blood through your body, railroads sped people and products to almost every part of the country. A person could now travel from New York City to San Francisco in just four days. A farmer in California could pick an orange on Monday and a kid in Texas could be eating that orange on Saturday. 

Indeed, railroads transformed America. They made it possible for businesses to sell clothes, toys, and other goods anywhere in the country. They allowed people to discover distant places. They enabled people to stay in touch with loved ones who lived far away. Trains helped turn small towns like Seattle into bustling cities. 

But the expansion of railroads also came at a tragic cost. 

In the 1700s, the nonindigenous population in North America mostly lived on the East Coast. But starting in the 1800s, train travel allowed more and more people to move west. That led to more and more encroachment on and destruction of Native American lands. 

Also, railroad builders faced harsh conditions. In the West, thousands of miles of tracks, tunnels, and bridges were built mostly by immigrants from China. In the Northeast, builders were largely immigrants from Ireland and Italy. And in the South, railroads were built almost entirely by enslaved Black men. Builders suffered hateful prejudice from many railroad bosses and workers. And the work itself was grueling and dangerous. It involved clearing forests, blasting through mountains, and laying tracks. Thousands died or were injured in accidents. 

Railroad workers faced hardship too. Working on a train or at a railroad yard was one of the most dangerous jobs in America. Workers spent long shifts unloading goods. They operated brakes and maintained tracks. One wrong move could mean the loss of a hand or foot—or worse. 

And finally, there were the unlucky passengers caught in the accidents. Such accidents happened every year. Wooden bridges collapsed. Trains collided with motorcars, horses, and other trains. Steam engines exploded. Brakes failed. Train cars broke loose and plunged off cliffs. 

And, of course, there were avalanches. 

Niles Canyon Railway

Chinese workers building the transcontinental railroad, the first continuous railroad that connected the United States from coast to coast. 

Stranded

Stranded

It was already snowing when Raymond and his mother boarded the train in Spokane, a growing city on the eastern edge of Washington. The Seattle Express left on time, at 7:30 p.m., with two shrill shrieks of its whistle and a puff of steam. Much of the 18-hour journey was supposed to be overnight, while passengers slept. 

Raymond and his mother were in a first-class “sleeper” car, one of the most luxurious ways to travel. At bedtime, Raymond’s seat was converted into a bed. Lulled by the gentle sway of the train and the clackety-clack of the wheels on the rails, Raymond drifted off to sleep. 

When he opened his eyes in the morning, the train wasn’t moving. The roar of the engine had gone silent. Out the window, all Raymond could see was a thick swirl of snow. 

The Seattle Express was stranded in the Cascade Mountains, in a small railroad town called Cascade Tunnel Station. A few miles ahead, the tracks were blocked by snow. Passengers grumbled about the delay, but the crew assured them that the train would be moving soon. There was no reason to doubt them—this was 1910, remember, a time when train travel was routine. 

But it was never easy for the Great Northern Railway, the company that owned the train line, to keep trains running through the mountains in winter. By some measures, more snow fell in the northern Cascades than anywhere in the world. Blizzards could dump 10 feet of snow in a single day. Avalanches were—and still are—common. 

The Great Northern Railway had built an impressive snow-fighting army—five massive snowplows with whirling metal blades and teams of “shovelers,” men who helped clear the tracks by hand. Their record was impressive. Between 1900 and 1910, more than 4,000 trains chugged along this route in all kinds of weather. 

There had been near-disasters though. In 1907, a passenger train was almost crushed by an avalanche. The train was stopped just in time, but it was stranded for 10 days. Finally, the desperate passengers—frozen, starving, terrified—hiked 5 miles in the snow to the nearest town. It was a miracle that everyone survived. 

It was already snowing when Raymond and his mother boarded the train in Spokane. It was a growing city on the eastern edge of Washington. The Seattle Express left on time, at 7:30 p.m., with two shrill shrieks of its whistle and a puff of steam. Much of the 18-hour journey was supposed to be overnight, while passengers slept. 

Raymond and his mother were in a first-class “sleeper” car. That was one of the most luxurious ways to travel. At bedtime, Raymond’s seat was converted into a bed. The gentle sway of the train and the clackety-clack of the wheels on the rails lulled Raymond to sleep. 

When he woke in the morning, the train wasn’t moving. The roar of the engine had gone silent. Out the window, all Raymond could see was a thick swirl of snow. 

The Seattle Express was stranded in the Cascade Mountains, in a small railroad town called Cascade Tunnel Station. A few miles ahead, the tracks were blocked by snow. Passengers complained about the delay. But the crew assured them that the train would be moving soon. There was no reason to doubt them. Remember, it was 1910—a time when train travel was routine. 

But keeping trains running through the mountains in the winter was never easy for the Great Northern Railway, the company that owned the train line. By some measures, more snow fell in the northern Cascades than anywhere in the world. Blizzards could dump 10 feet of snow in a single day. Avalanches were—and still are—common. 

The Great Northern Railway had built an impressive snow-fighting army. It had five huge snowplows with whirling metal blades. It had teams of “shovelers”—men who helped clear the tracks by hand. Their record was impressive. Between 1900 and 1910, more than 4,000 trains traveled along this route in all kinds of weather. 

There had been near-disasters though. In 1907, a passenger train was almost crushed by an avalanche. The train was stopped just in time. But it was stranded for 10 days. The passengers were freezing, starving, and terrified. They became desperate. Finally, they left the train and hiked 5 miles in the snow to the nearest town. It was a miracle that everyone survived.

Washington State Historical Society

A train in Wellington, Washington, around 1895

Shocking News

Shocking News

That first morning, the crew of the Seattle Express arranged for passengers to eat breakfast at a railroad cookhouse a short walk from the train. Two friendly men, Harry and John, welcomed their unexpected guests. Raymond surely enjoyed feasting on eggs, cereal, fruit, and pancakes. 

Bellies full, the passengers reboarded the train, expecting to soon resume their journey to Seattle. But the blizzard had grown more ferocious, and the snowplows couldn’t keep up. What’s more, a second train, this one carrying mail, was stuck behind them. 

Two more days passed, and food at the cookhouse started to run low. The trains were moved a few miles, to a town called Wellington. 

Wellington was even smaller than Cascade Tunnel Station. The only place to park the trains was on the edge of a 150-foot-deep canyon.

Fortunately, Wellington had a small lodge called Hotel Bailets, with a well-stocked kitchen and a dining room large enough for the passengers and crew. The trains were still stranded, but at least nobody would starve. 

But then, troubling reports began swirling. Some of the snowplows had broken down, and the shovelers, who were paid only 15 cents an hour, were quitting. 

The most shocking news came early on February 25. An avalanche had plowed through Cascade Tunnel Station. The cookhouse where the passengers had eaten just two days earlier had been crushed, and Harry and John had been killed. 

Now the passengers understood the truth: They were not just stranded in the middle of nowhere. Their lives were in danger. The kind of avalanche—or white death, as it was called—that had killed Harry and John could hit Wellington too. All anyone had to do to comprehend this was look out the train windows at the steep mountainside towering above them. The snow was already so deep that even the tops of the trees had disappeared. Any minute, it seemed, all that snow could break loose. 

Still, it seemed safer on the trains than in Wellington’s rickety wooden buildings. In fact, some townspeople chose to leave their homes and take shelter on the trains.

That first morning, the passengers ate their breakfast at a railroad cookhouse. It was a short walk from the train. Two friendly men, Harry and John, welcomed their unexpected guests. Raymond surely enjoyed feasting on eggs, cereal, fruit, and pancakes. 

Bellies full, the passengers got back on the train. They expected that their journey to Seattle would soon continue. But the blizzard had grown more ferocious. The snowplows couldn’t keep up. What’s more, a train carrying mail was stuck behind them. 

Two more days passed. The food at the cookhouse started to run low. The trains were moved a few miles, to a town called Wellington. 

Wellington was even smaller than Cascade Tunnel Station. The trains had to park on the edge of a 150-foot-deep canyon.

Fortunately, Wellington had a small lodge called Hotel Bailets. It had a well-stocked kitchen. The dining room was large enough for the passengers and crew. The trains were still stranded, but at least nobody would starve. 

But then, troubling reports began swirling. Some of the snowplows had broken down. And the shovelers, who were paid only 15 cents an hour, were quitting. 

The most shocking news came early on February 25. An avalanche had plowed through Cascade Tunnel Station. The cookhouse where the passengers had eaten just two days earlier had been crushed. Harry and John had been killed. 

Now the passengers realized the truth: They were not just stranded in the middle of nowhere. Their lives were in danger. The kind of avalanche—or white death, as it was called—that had killed Harry and John could hit Wellington too. All anyone had to do to understand this was look up at the steep mountainside towering above the train. The snow was already so deep that even the tops of the trees had disappeared. Any minute, it seemed, all that snow could break loose. 

Still, it seemed safer on the trains than in Wellington’s rickety wooden buildings. In fact, some townspeople chose to leave their homes and take shelter on the trains.

Courtesy of SHS

Rail Town

Small towns like Wellington sprang up along train routes. Wellington was mainly populated by rail workers. Here you can see a train passing by Hotel Bailets before the disaster.

End of the World

End of the World

“I saw the whole side of the mountain coming down, tearing up everything in its way.”

Two more long days and nights crept by. Did Raymond sense the growing panic? Did he hear the muffled roars of distant avalanches that terrified passengers as they lay awake at night? Did he gag at the stench that filled the train car, or overhear the crew whispering that food was now running low at Bailets?

On Monday, February 28, day six of the crisis, the temperature rose and the snow turned to rain. At midnight, a violent thunderstorm swept in. Lightning slashed the sky. Thunder boomed.

And then, at 1:42 a.m., there was a new sound.

Whumph.

A massive slab of snow cracked loose from the mountain high above the tracks. A railroad worker staying at Bailets rushed outside. 

“I saw the whole side of the mountain coming down, tearing up everything in its way,” he would later say. “It seemed as if the whole world were coming to an end.”

Within seconds, the avalanche reached the tracks. It lifted both trains into the air and hurled them over the edge of the canyon. The train cars shattered in midair. Many people died instantly, in their sleep. Others were buried under snow and hunks of wood and metal, beneath trees and boulders. A lucky few were thrown out of the cars and landed in the snow miraculously unharmed. 

Workers from the town raced into the canyon. One of them spotted Raymond, unconscious and horrifically injured—but alive. A 3-inch piece of wood had pierced his forehead, lodging in his skull. The man scooped up Raymond and rushed him to Bailets, where the dining room was quickly being turned into a makeshift hospital. 

There were no doctors or nurses. It was a telegraph operator named Basil Sherlock who took a blade, cleaned it with boiling water, and cut the wood from Raymond’s skull. He carefully bandaged Raymond’s head and covered Raymond in blankets. 

Few believed Raymond would survive. 

Two more long days and nights crept by. Did Raymond sense the growing panic? Did he hear the muffled roars of distant avalanches that terrified passengers as they lay awake at night? Did he gag at the stench that filled the train car? Did he overhear the crew whispering that food was now running low at Bailets?

On Monday, February 28, the sixth day of the crisis, the temperature rose. The snow turned to rain. At midnight, a violent thunderstorm swept in. Lightning slashed the sky. Thunder boomed. 

And then, at 1:42 a.m., there was a new sound.

Whumph. 

A massive slab of snow cracked loose from the mountain high above the tracks. A railroad worker staying at Bailets rushed outside. 

“I saw the whole side of the mountain coming down, tearing up everything in its way,” he would later say. “It seemed as if the whole world were coming to an end.”

Within seconds, the avalanche reached the tracks. It lifted both trains into the air and hurled them over the edge of the canyon. The train cars shattered in midair. Many people died instantly, in their sleep. Others were buried under snow and hunks of wood and metal, beneath trees and boulders. A lucky few were thrown out of the cars and landed in the snow unharmed.

Workers from the town raced into the canyon. One of them spotted Raymond. He was unconscious and horrifically injured—but alive. A 3-inch piece of wood was lodged in his skull. The man scooped up Raymond. He rushed Raymond to Bailets, where the dining room had been turned into a makeshift hospital. 

There were no doctors or nurses. A telegraph operator named Basil Sherlock found a blade. He cleaned it with boiling water and cut the wood from Raymond’s skull. He carefully bandaged Raymond’s head and covered Raymond in blankets. 

Few believed Raymond would survive.

 Skykomish Historical Society

It would take months to clear the wreckage from the canyon.

The Aftermath

The Aftermath

Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center, 87-141-12

Raymond and A.W. Stockwell, the first doctor to reach the scene of the train wreck

Most people did not survive the avalanche. There were an estimated 125 people on the two trains that night—passengers, crew, townspeople. Only 23 made it out alive. The Great Wellington Avalanche was—and still is—the deadliest avalanche in U.S. history. 

Could more have been done to prevent this tragedy? 

Even today, there are no clear answers. Humans did not create the blizzard. Nor did they cause that monstrous avalanche. But humans did build train lines through the Cascade Mountains. And leaders of the Great Northern Railway understood the potential for avalanches, yet they still chose to send two trains into those mountains during a blizzard. 

Many people did blame the Great Northern Railway for the deaths of so many people. In particular, they blamed the railroad’s founder, James J. Hill. Famously determined, Hill urged his teams to keep trains running no matter what. Late trains cost him money and hurt the reputation of his railroad.

Still, the Great Northern Railway was just one of three railroads that had lines crossing the Cascades. The other two lines happened not to have trains on the mountain that fateful night in 1910. What’s more, Hill and his workers had no way of knowing that the blizzard would last for days. Today, technology helps us predict and plan for bad weather, often days in advance. Those tools didn’t exist in 1910. That said, the Wellington disaster was not the first time, or the last, when humans would pay the price for underestimating nature’s power. 

In the years after the avalanche, the Great Northern Railway built miles of snowsheds—concrete roofs over the tracks to protect trains from avalanches. And in 1929, it completed an 8-mile-long tunnel that enabled trains to avoid the riskiest parts of the journey through the Cascades. 

As for Raymond Starrett, he was one of the lucky few who made it out of Wellington alive. So was his mother, Ida. He would go on to spend his life in Washington, where he got married and had a successful career working for a power company. He was known for his bright and friendly smile, his handsome face—and the scar on his forehead from the deadliest avalanche in U.S. history.

Most people did not survive the avalanche. There were an estimated 125 people on the two trains that night—passengers, crew, townspeople. Only 23 made it out alive. The Great Wellington Avalanche was—and still is—the deadliest avalanche in U.S. history. 

Could more have been done to prevent this tragedy? 

Even today, there are no clear answers. Humans did not create the blizzard. They did not cause the monstrous avalanche. But humans did build train lines through the Cascade Mountains. And leaders of the Great Northern Railway knew the potential for avalanches. Yet they still chose to send two trains into those mountains during a blizzard. 

Many people blamed the Great Northern Railway for the deaths of so many people. In particular, they blamed James J. Hill. He was the founder of the railroad. He urged his teams to keep trains running no matter what. Late trains cost him money and hurt the reputation of his railroad.

Still, two other railroads had lines crossing the Cascades. These other lines didn’t happen to have any trains on the mountain that fateful night in 1910. What’s more, Hill and his workers had no way of knowing that the blizzard would last for days. Today, technology helps us predict and plan for bad weather, often days in advance. Those tools didn’t exist in 1910. That said, the Wellington disaster was not the first time—or the last—when humans would pay the price for underestimating nature’s power. 

In the years after the avalanche, the Great Northern Railway built miles of snowsheds. These concrete roofs over the tracks were meant to protect trains from avalanches. And in 1929, the railroad completed an 8-mile-long tunnel. It enabled trains to avoid the riskiest parts of the journey through the Cascades. 

As for Raymond Starrett, he was one of the lucky few who made it out of Wellington alive. So was his mother, Ida. He would go on to spend his life in Washington. He got married and had a successful career working for a power company. He was known for his bright and friendly smile, his handsome face—and the scar on his forehead from the deadliest avalanche in U.S. history.

Copyright ©2022 Lauren Tarshis

Copyright ©2022 Lauren Tarshis

Shutterstock.com

What Causes an Avalanche?

On mountains, layers of snow can build up over weeks and months. Some layers are thick, some are thin. Some are icy, some are mushy. As more snow piles on top, the weaker layers underneath can start to break. At that point, the slightest weight or vibration—a person skiing or snowboarding or even just hiking—can send the whole snowpack crashing down the mountain. 

Today, experts carefully monitor the snowpack and the weather. When there is a risk of avalanches, officials close roads, trails, and train routes to keep people safe.

Shutterstock.com

What Causes an Avalanche?

On mountains, layers of snow can build up over weeks and months. Some layers are thick, some are thin. Some are icy, some are mushy. As more snow piles on top, the weaker layers underneath can start to break. At that point, the slightest weight or vibration—a person skiing or snowboarding or even just hiking—can send the whole snowpack crashing down the mountain. 

Today, experts carefully monitor the snowpack and the weather. When there is a risk of avalanches, officials close roads, trails, and train routes to keep people safe.

Writing Prompt

Imagine this story is being turned into a movie. Write the narration for the movie trailer. Be sure to use vivid language and sensory details. 

Writing Prompt

Imagine this story is being turned into a movie. Write the narration for the movie trailer. Be sure to use vivid language and sensory details. 

This article was originally published in the September 2022 issue.

This article was originally published in the September 2022 issue.

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Core Skills Workout
  • The Core Skills Workout is a series of skill-based activities that will help your students "bulk up" in the comprehension skills they need most to become strong, analytical readers. The Core Skills Workout comes with every issue and will support your reading program no matter what your scope and sequence.
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Activities (14)
Core Skills Workout
  • The Core Skills Workout is a series of skill-based activities that will help your students "bulk up" in the comprehension skills they need most to become strong, analytical readers. The Core Skills Workout comes with every issue and will support your reading program no matter what your scope and sequence.
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The Core Skills Workout
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Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

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Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Connected Reading

5. Support for Multilingual Learners

Essential questions: How have railroads shaped American history? Who’s in control: humans or nature? What is progress?

Essential questions: How have railroads shaped American history? Who’s in control: humans or nature? What is progress?

1. PREPARING TO READ (25 MINUTES)

Do Now: Museum Gallery Walk (20 minutes)

  • Display primary sources: Before class, print and hang the following texts and images “gallery style” so that students will be able to circulate throughout the room, with small groups clustering around each primary source. 

  • Have students analyze each primary source in the exhibit: Students should carry a pencil and a journal for recording notes as they silently tour the exhibit. The sample questions below from the Library of Congress can guide students through the analysis process. Project them on your whiteboard or post them at each station. 

    • What do you notice first? 
    • Find something small but interesting. 
    • Where do you think this came from? 
    • Why do you think somebody made this? 
    • Who do you think was the audience for this item?
    • What do you notice that you can’t explain? 
    • What do you think was happening when this was made? 
    • What do you wonder about?

For more primary-source analysis tools for students from the LOC, click here.

  • Debrief: Have students share their observations, reflections, and questions—and discuss how they might find answers to their questions. Then ask: Based on these documents, what conclusions can you draw about railroads and early train travel in America? Tell students that they are about to read a story about a train disaster that occurred in 1910. 

Preview Vocabulary (5 minutes)

Project Vocabulary: Definitions and Practice. Review the definitions as a class. Highlighted words: careened, encroachment, potential, rickety, telegraph. Optionally, print or share the interactive link directly to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity independently beforehand. (Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud of the definitions are embedded on the interactive slides.)

Do Now: Museum Gallery Walk (20 minutes)

  • Display primary sources: Before class, print and hang the following texts and images “gallery style” so that students will be able to circulate throughout the room, with small groups clustering around each primary source. 

  • Have students analyze each primary source in the exhibit: Students should carry a pencil and a journal for recording notes as they silently tour the exhibit. The sample questions below from the Library of Congress can guide students through the analysis process. Project them on your whiteboard or post them at each station. 

    • What do you notice first? 
    • Find something small but interesting. 
    • Where do you think this came from? 
    • Why do you think somebody made this? 
    • Who do you think was the audience for this item?
    • What do you notice that you can’t explain? 
    • What do you think was happening when this was made? 
    • What do you wonder about?

For more primary-source analysis tools for students from the LOC, click here.

  • Debrief: Have students share their observations, reflections, and questions—and discuss how they might find answers to their questions. Then ask: Based on these documents, what conclusions can you draw about railroads and early train travel in America? Tell students that they are about to read a story about a train disaster that occurred in 1910. 

Preview Vocabulary (5 minutes)

Project Vocabulary: Definitions and Practice. Review the definitions as a class. Highlighted words: careened, encroachment, potential, rickety, telegraph. Optionally, print or share the interactive link directly to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity independently beforehand. (Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud of the definitions are embedded on the interactive slides.)

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (45 MINUTES)

  • Have a volunteer read the As You Read box on page 5 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.
  • Read the article once as a class. (Differentiation: Share the lower-Lexile version or the Spanish version of the article.) Optionally, have students listen to author Lauren Tarshis read her article aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
  • Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following close-reading questions. 

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • How does author Lauren Tarshis portray the United States at the turn of the 20th century (the end of the 1800s and the beginning of the 1900s)? Why is this information important to the story? (key ideas and details) Tarshis portrays the turn of the 20th century as a time of great change in the U.S. New electric lights, motorcars, skyscrapers, and factories were transforming American life; everything seemed to be getting bigger, faster, brighter, better. This information helps readers understand why people were shocked by the Wellington disaster: In 1910, few imagined such a disaster could happen.

  • What does the section “‘Iron Horses’” help readers understand? (text structure; setting) The section “‘Iron Horses’” helps readers understand that trains transformed American life in both positive and negative ways. On one hand, expanding railroads connected people, places, and goods. On the other hand, the expansion of railroads had tragic consequences: the destruction of Native Americans’ homelands, the horrific working conditions for railroad builders and workers, and the loss of lives in train disasters.

  • Sensory details use descriptive words that appeal to the five senses; they allow readers to read the author’s words and feel like they’re living in the story. List examples of sensory details in the article. What do these details add to the story?✸ (author’s craft) Answers will vary but may include “Snow gushed from the sky,” “Howling winds shook the train cars,” “The cars reeked of clogged toilets and sweaty bodies,” “massive hunks of snow broke loose from the steep mountainside that loomed above,” “the snow turned into a killer wave,” “It careened down the mountainside, obliterating everything in its path,” “Gleaming steel skyscrapers soared higher than the 1,000-year-old trees being chopped down to build new houses and factories,” “And rising above it all was the sound—whooo whooo!—of train whistles,” “with two shrill shrieks of its whistle and a puff of steam,” “Lulled by the gentle sway of the train and the clackety-clack of the wheels on the rails,” and “all Raymond could see was a thick swirl of snow.” These details help readers feel like they’ve been transported to 1910 and are living in Tarshis’s story, experiencing what Raymond Starrett experienced.

    ✸ The Sensory Details Scavenger Hunt in your Resources tab reviews sensory details and contains a graphic organizer for recording examples, if you’d like to go deeper with sensory details.

  • What made train travel through the Cascade Mountains so treacherous? (key ideas and details) More snow fell in the Cascade Mountains than perhaps anywhere in the world; blizzards and avalanches were and still are common there. 

  • Consider these lines from page 9: “Did Raymond sense the growing panic? Did he hear the muffled roars of distant avalanches that terrified passengers as they lay awake at night? Did he gag at the stench that filled the train car, or overhear the crew whispering that food was now running low at Bailets?” Why do you think Tarshis uses a series of questions here? (author’s craft) Tarshis likely uses questions here because she doesn’t know for certain how Raymond was experiencing the unfolding nightmare; there is likely no record of what Raymond was thinking, wondering, or picking up on in these moments. By using questions, Tarshis is able to convey what was happening around Raymond while telling the reader that we can’t know exactly how he was experiencing it.

    Critical-Thinking Questions (5 minutes) 

  • Tarshis writes, “That said, the Wellington disaster was not the first time, or the last, when humans would pay the price for underestimating nature’s power.” What does she mean? Can you think of other examples when humans have underestimated nature’s power? Tarshis means that throughout history, humans have failed to recognize the strength of nature’s forces and suffered disastrous consequences for it—and that we will surely make the same mistake again. When we underestimate nature, we overestimate our own strength and ingenuity. Examples might include disasters such as the “unsinkable” Titanic going down after colliding with an iceberg or climbers who died on Mount Everest. 

  • What lessons can be learned from the story of the Wellington Avalanche of 1910? Answers will vary. Students may offer that we shouldn’t underestimate nature’s power, that the desire for profit shouldn’t be placed above safety, and that everyone’s perception of progress is not the same. 

  • Consider the primary sources from the gallery walk. Does reading the article confirm, challenge, or change any of the conclusions you made about railroads and early train travel? If so, how? Answers will vary. 

  • Have a volunteer read the As You Read box on page 5 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.
  • Read the article once as a class. (Differentiation: Share the lower-Lexile version or the Spanish version of the article.) Optionally, have students listen to author Lauren Tarshis read her article aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
  • Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following close-reading questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • How does author Lauren Tarshis portray the United States at the turn of the 20th century (the end of the 1800s and the beginning of the 1900s)? Why is this information important to the story? (key ideas and details) Tarshis portrays the turn of the 20th century as a time of great change in the U.S. New electric lights, motorcars, skyscrapers, and factories were transforming American life; everything seemed to be getting bigger, faster, brighter, better. This information helps readers understand why people were shocked by the Wellington disaster: In 1910, few imagined such a disaster could happen.

  • What does the section “‘Iron Horses’” help readers understand? (text structure; setting) The section “‘Iron Horses’” helps readers understand that trains transformed American life in both positive and negative ways. On one hand, expanding railroads connected people, places, and goods. On the other hand, the expansion of railroads had tragic consequences: the destruction of Native Americans’ homelands, the horrific working conditions for railroad builders and workers, and the loss of lives in train disasters.

  • Sensory details use descriptive words that appeal to the five senses; they allow readers to read the author’s words and feel like they’re living in the story. List examples of sensory details in the article. What do these details add to the story?✸ (author’s craft) Answers will vary but may include “Snow gushed from the sky,” “Howling winds shook the train cars,” “The cars reeked of clogged toilets and sweaty bodies,” “massive hunks of snow broke loose from the steep mountainside that loomed above,” “the snow turned into a killer wave,” “It careened down the mountainside, obliterating everything in its path,” “Gleaming steel skyscrapers soared higher than the 1,000-year-old trees being chopped down to build new houses and factories,” “And rising above it all was the sound—whooo whooo!—of train whistles,” “with two shrill shrieks of its whistle and a puff of steam,” “Lulled by the gentle sway of the train and the clackety-clack of the wheels on the rails,” and “all Raymond could see was a thick swirl of snow.” These details help readers feel like they’ve been transported to 1910 and are living in Tarshis’s story, experiencing what Raymond Starrett experienced.

    ✸ The Sensory Details Scavenger Hunt in your Resources tab reviews sensory details and contains a graphic organizer for recording examples, if you’d like to go deeper with sensory details.

  • What made train travel through the Cascade Mountains so treacherous? (key ideas and details) More snow fell in the Cascade Mountains than perhaps anywhere in the world; blizzards and avalanches were and still are common there. 

  • Consider these lines from page 9: “Did Raymond sense the growing panic? Did he hear the muffled roars of distant avalanches that terrified passengers as they lay awake at night? Did he gag at the stench that filled the train car, or overhear the crew whispering that food was now running low at Bailets?” Why do you think Tarshis uses a series of questions here? (author’s craft) Tarshis likely uses questions here because she doesn’t know for certain how Raymond was experiencing the unfolding nightmare; there is likely no record of what Raymond was thinking, wondering, or picking up on in these moments. By using questions, Tarshis is able to convey what was happening around Raymond while telling the reader that we can’t know exactly how he was experiencing it.

    Critical-Thinking Questions (5 minutes)

  • Tarshis writes, “That said, the Wellington disaster was not the first time, or the last, when humans would pay the price for underestimating nature’s power.” What does she mean? Can you think of other examples when humans have underestimated nature’s power? Tarshis means that throughout history, humans have failed to recognize the strength of nature’s forces and suffered disastrous consequences for it—and that we will surely make the same mistake again. When we underestimate nature, we overestimate our own strength and ingenuity. Examples might include disasters such as the “unsinkable” Titanic going down after colliding with an iceberg or climbers who died on Mount Everest. 

  • What lessons can be learned from the story of the Wellington Avalanche of 1910? Answers will vary. Students may offer that we shouldn’t underestimate nature’s power, that the desire for profit shouldn’t be placed above safety, and that everyone’s perception of progress is not the same. 

  • Consider the primary sources from the gallery walk. Does reading the article confirm, challenge, or change any of the conclusions you made about railroads and early train travel? If so, how? Answers will vary. 

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (30 MINUTES)

  • Have students complete Writing Planner: The Wellington Disaster. This activity will help them organize their ideas in preparation for the activity on page 10 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page.
  • Alternatively, have students choose a culminating task from the Choice Board, a menu of differentiated activities.

  • Have students complete Writing Planner: The Wellington Disaster. This activity will help them organize their ideas in preparation for the activity on page 10 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page.
  • Alternatively, have students choose a culminating task from the Choice Board, a menu of differentiated activities.

4. CONNECTED READING

Connected reading from the Scope archives:

Stories that also take place in the 1910s:

 

Stories that explore how railroads have shaped American history:

Connected reading from the Scope archives:

Stories that also take place in the 1910s:

 

Stories that explore how railroads have shaped American history:

5. SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

Yes/No Questions

Ask students to demonstrate comprehension with a very simple answer.

  1. Did train travel cause more people to move west? Yes, it did.
  2. Did the Seattle Express begin its journey in Spokane, Washington? Yes, it did.
  3. Was Raymond and his mother’s train car luxurious? Yes, it was.
  4. Was the hotel in Wellington able to feed the passengers? Yes, it was.
  5. Did Raymond make it out of Wellington alive? Yes, he did.

Either/Or Questions

Encourage students to use language from the question to support their answer.

  1. Was traveling on the first trains safe and fast or slow and dangerous? Traveling on the first trains was slow and dangerous.
  2. Were the tracks blocked by snow or by other trains? The tracks were blocked by snow.
  3. Were the passengers stuck on the train for six hours or six days and nights? The passengers were stuck on the train for six days and nights.
  4. Was the train parked on the edge of a canyon or inside a tunnel? The train was parked on the edge of a canyon.
  5. On the day of the disaster, did the temperature rise or fall? On the day of the disaster, the temperature rose.

Short-Answer Questions

Challenge students to produce simple answers on their own.

  1. Why was traveling in the Cascade Mountains so dangerous? The Cascade Mountains are one of the snowiest places in the world. Trains faced blizzards and avalanches.
  2. Why did some people blame the Great Northern Railway for the disaster? Some people blamed the Great Northern Railway for the disaster because it knowingly sent two trains into a blizzard.

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Boost students’ language skills by fostering appreciation for literary devices. After reading the article, tell students that onomatopoeia means words that sound like the thing they stand for. Ask:

  1. What makes the whumph sound in the story? the sound of the snowpack breaking loose from the mountain
  2. What makes the whooo whooo sound in the story? the train’s whistle
  3. What makes the clackety-clack sound in the story? the train traveling along the tracks
  4. Ask students to think of other sound words. Challenge them to make the sound represented by each word, using their bodies or items they have nearby. Some sound words they may use include: bang, buzz, click, crack, crunch, hiss, hoot, hum, rumble, and snap.

Yes/No Questions

Ask students to demonstrate comprehension with a very simple answer.

  1. Did train travel cause more people to move west? Yes, it did.
  2. Did the Seattle Express begin its journey in Spokane, Washington? Yes, it did.
  3. Was Raymond and his mother’s train car luxurious? Yes, it was.
  4. Was the hotel in Wellington able to feed the passengers? Yes, it was.
  5. Did Raymond make it out of Wellington alive? Yes, he did.

Either/Or Questions

Encourage students to use language from the question to support their answer.

  1. Was traveling on the first trains safe and fast or slow and dangerous? Traveling on the first trains was slow and dangerous.
  2. Were the tracks blocked by snow or by other trains? The tracks were blocked by snow.
  3. Were the passengers stuck on the train for six hours or six days and nights? The passengers were stuck on the train for six days and nights.
  4. Was the train parked on the edge of a canyon or inside a tunnel? The train was parked on the edge of a canyon.
  5. On the day of the disaster, did the temperature rise or fall? On the day of the disaster, the temperature rose.

Short-Answer Questions

Challenge students to produce simple answers on their own.

  1. Why was traveling in the Cascade Mountains so dangerous? The Cascade Mountains are one of the snowiest places in the world. Trains faced blizzards and avalanches.
  2. Why did some people blame the Great Northern Railway for the disaster? Some people blamed the Great Northern Railway for the disaster because it knowingly sent two trains into a blizzard.

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Boost students’ language skills by fostering appreciation for literary devices. After reading the article, tell students that onomatopoeia means words that sound like the thing they stand for. Ask:

  1. What makes the whumph sound in the story? the sound of the snowpack breaking loose from the mountain
  2. What makes the whooo whooo sound in the story? the train’s whistle
  3. What makes the clackety-clack sound in the story? the train traveling along the tracks
  4. Ask students to think of other sound words. Challenge them to make the sound represented by each word, using their bodies or items they have nearby. Some sound words they may use include: bang, buzz, click, crack, crunch, hiss, hoot, hum, rumble, and snap.
Text-to-Speech