Eight Loggers Die When Tree Falls on Train Near Astoria

Buried in Section D in an obscure grave with no marker is the Swedish immigrant Carl Berg who died on 23 March 1917 near Grays River, Wahkiakum County, Washington. He, along with about 140 other, mostly single, loggers were heading back to the logging camp they lived in at the end of the day. There was a serious spring storm with high winds, heavy rain, and sleet. There was coastal flooding and heavy snow and avalanches in the North Cascades.

In 1917 the loggers were transported from logging operations to a base camp by open air rail cars. The train was noisy and the wind was blowing and the rain added to the misery of travelling on open air rail cars. The train's engineer and brakeman, who were in the cab of the train didn't see it coming and were aware of anything amiss until the 18 inch hemlock hit the car right behind the engine. The approximately 140 employees didn't see it coming until it was too late. The tree hit the rail car killing 7 outright, 1 died on the way to St Mary's hospital in Astoria, and three more later died there.

A survivor, Martin Arcey, who received comparatively minor injuries, a broken arm and cuts, was able to give an account that was quoted in Portland "The Daily Journal": "It came so sudden that the first thing I knew was a black streak above and ahead of me. then the awful crash. I was thrown on my head forward, so I really did not see how the others were injured. I know that a few were directly under the tree, and others must have been against and partly under it as the train moved ahead. All of those who were killed died instantly, I believe."

The coverage in "The Daily Journal" reported: "Both of the cars which carried the men were flat cars. Falling at an angle, the tree pinned the men bneath it, and as the train moved ahead about 20 feet after it was hit, others who were not struck direclty by the tree were swept partly under it and crushed to the floor of the car. the dead were mangled."

Carl is one of two of the deceased who are buried in Portland. The other is fellow Swedish immigrant Axel Dahleen who is buried with his brother and sister-in-law at Rose City Cemetery. According to the death certificates we have located from Clatsop County four of the other deceased are buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Astoria. We have not yet located the five other deceased.