Caught by slide - August 31, 1917

Caught by Slide

Engineer W.C. McKenzie and Son Go Down to Death

Tuesday [1] morning at 11:25 as the regular northbound White Pass passenger train hauled by three engines, was making its way slowly up the grade about sixteen miles from Skagway and a mile and a half north of Glacier station an avalanche of rock descended from high cliffs to the right of the track and striking the train just back of the two forward engines brought total destruction to the third engine and three box cars and instant death to Engineer W.C. McKenzie and his son Bert, who was firing.
From T. Tyler, baggageman on the ill fated train, we learned the following particulars of the lamentable occurrence: The train, a mixed one of passengers, baggage, freight and express cars, was drawn by three engines, the forward one being manned by Frank Webster, engineer and W. Flynn, fireman; the second by Eddy Barry, engineer and Sam Hanson, fireman; and the third by W.C. McKenzie, engineer, and his son Bert as fireman. Conductor Albert McCann, was in charge, while Brakeman Gillespie was on the forward part of the train and Brakeman Rousseau on the rear. The first two engines were coupled together, followed by two box car; then came the third engine, followed by a box car filled with mail, baggage car an the rest of the train, including coach and chair car. There were 12 passengers on board.
As the train was forging ahead between steel bridges 15A and 15B the calamity happened so unexpectedly and instantaneously that had it not been for the rough, jolting stoppage of the train, the survivors would have not been aware that anything out of the ordinary had taken place.

The Weekly Start (WHITEHORSE STAR) – Friday August 31, 1917

[1] August 28, 1917

Copyright © 1994-2016 Whitepassfan.net by Boerries Burkhardt