Page 10 - Flathead Beacon // 3.5.14

10 | MARCH 5, 2014 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

Just
Sayin’.

“It was an
unsurvivable
avalanche. He

certainly would
have been ground
up had he been

caught up in the
avalanche.”

Steve Karkanen, director
of the Missoula-based
West Central Montana
Avalanche Center,
explaining how the
snowboarder who
triggered last week’s
deadly avalanche
survived.

“When we looked
again, we saw

that their whole
house was kind of
no longer there, at A BNSF freight train derails along the U.S. Highway 93 overpass near Olney on March 1. JUSTIN FRANZ | FLATHEAD BEACON
Avalanche, Derailment Close Rail Line
least the top loor.”

Cheryl McMillan, who
lives near the house
destroyed in the slide, told Two separate incidents, Essex, again closing BNSF’s primary snow, trees and debris covering both main
the Missoulian she heard route from the Midwest to the Paciic line tracks between Essex and Marias
a roar, but didn’t know a derailment near Olney Northwest.
Pass, according to Jones. By 12:30 p.m.
what it was at irst.
and an avalanche near
On the afternoon of March 1, 45 cars Monday one track was already cleared.
Essex, impact freight on an empty coal train derailed near Ol- While the slide was discovered March
“We are on a very ney, temporarily closing U.S. Highway 93. 2, crews were not able to begin removing
dangerous track and passenger trains
No one was injured and the cause is under the snow until the following morning due
of increasing investigation, according to spokesperson to fears of another avalanche. Specialists
Matthew Jones. Two cars derailed on top were keeping an eye on conditions in or-
tensions. (But) of the Highway 93 underpass and while der to remove the slide safely.
it is still possible workers removed the freight cars, traic “The avalanche threat remains and
to turn around. By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon
was rerouted around the wreck on Olney it’s something we’re factoring into the
A new division of An avalanche near Essex and a de-
Loop Road. While BNSF cleared the de- work being done up there,” Jones said.
Europe can still be railment near Olney temporarily closed railment, the eastbound and westbound It was unclear how long train traic
prevented.”
BNSF Railway’s main line through North- Amtrak Empire Builder passenger trains would be halted because of the avalanche.
west Montana early this week.
waited in Spokane and Whiteish.
Some freight trains were being rerouted
German Foreign On Saturday, March 1, an empty coal The wreck was cleared and the tracks through southern Montana, via Montana
Minister Frank-Walter train derailed near Olney, closing the repaired by 6:30 p.m. Sunday, but just ive Rail Link, and Amtrak passengers were
Steinmeier discussing
the tense standof route for more than 24 hours. Then, on hours later trains were stranded again being bused between Whiteish and Shel-
involving Russian March 2, just hours after the wreck in Ol- when an avalanche came down on the by while workers cleared a path through
forces surrounding the ney was cleared and the route reopened, tracks near Essex just before 11:30 p.m. the snow.
Ukrainian army.
an avalanche covered the tracks near
The slide was at least 7 feet deep, with
[email protected]

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