Wellington Disaster

avalanche disaster, Washington, United States [1910]

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July 22, 2026

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The Wellington Disaster of 1910 was the deadliest avalanche disaster in U.S. history. It occurred near Wellington, Washington, when two Great Northern trains were caught in a massive avalanche triggered by a thunderstorm on March 1, 1910. The avalanche pushed the trains off the tracks and into a river gorge below. Of the 96 passengers and crew members who died, rescuers were only able to dig out 23 survivors. This tragedy highlighted the dangers of winter travel through the Cascade Range and led to the construction of a longer, lower-elevation tunnel to improve safety.1

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Cascade Tunnel
…Tunnel was necessitated by the Wellington Disaster of 1910, the deadliest avalanche disaster in U.S. history. In late February 1910 two Great Northern trains bound for Seattle made it through the old Cascade Tunnel but were forced to stop near the railroad community of Wellington because of severe winter weather.…
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…Tunnel was necessitated by the Wellington Disaster of 1910, the deadliest avalanche disaster in U.S. history. In late February 1910 two Great Northern trains bound for Seattle made it through the old Cascade Tunnel but were forced to stop near the railroad community of Wellington because of severe winter weather.…
Read More