This cache is part of the 2018 Spokane Trains And Railroads GeoChallenge. If you are participating in this GeoChallenge be sure to download and print your STAR Passport and find other helpful resources at STAR Challenge and get started today.
and get started today.
This cache is placed and maintained by sandmanc.
Note: Washington State Discovery Pass required for parking at trailhead.
One hundred years ago on a cold foggy February morning, Cheney’s worst railroad accident occurred at this spot. The Northern Pacific’s North Coast Limited passenger train plowed into a Burlington passenger train. The Burlington train was stopped at the station in South Cheney when the Northern Pacific train, going the same direction plowed into it. Five men killed, and multiple passengers injured.
The tragedy was witnessed by a horrified group of six female students from the Cheney Normal School. They were on a hike, standing on top of a hill watching as the trains came in, and saw a brakeman run down the track waving a lantern trying to stop the incoming train. They recalled the brakeman continued to wave the lantern until the train was past the point of no return. It was due to the dense fog that the Northern Pacific passenger train failed to see the brakeman’s lantern.
An investigation of the crash found that speed and the time-interval spacing system were to blame. Due to the failure of synchronized clocks on each train, the timing was off by only a matter of minutes causing the collision. Also, due to a lack of following train speed orders issued weeks prior to the crash. These orders were put in place because of severe flooding that had caused missing and broken rails, washouts and detours in the area. The dense fog of that morning combined with these factors, prevented the incoming North Coast train from stopping in time. (Rachael Hosko, “Deadly Fog: The South Cheney Train Crash of 1916,” Spokane Historical, accessed May 22, 2018, http://spokanehistorical.org/items/show/705.)
This cache is part of the 2018 Spokane Trains And Railroads GeoChallenge. Spokane has a strong history as a major train hub, and in many ways still is. The STAR Challenge will take geocachers on an adventure, finding caches in places significant to railroads past and present. You will visit locations featuring retired train cars, streetcar rails, bridges, graves and rail yards. Successful completion of the STAR Challenge is rewarded with a trackable Geocoin.
- All caches begin with the series name STAR: followed by a location-specific name so they are easy to search. We also made a STAR Bookmark of the caches.
- To qualify for a Geocoin, find the code word or stamp in each geocache and record it on your passport.
- Visit STAR Challenge and get started today.
to find the challenge rules, a printable STAR Passport and map view of qualifying caches.
The Spokane Trains And Railroads GeoChallenge is sponsored by Cache Advance, and by donation from local cachers. We hope you enjoy!
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- This geocache has an approved Permit to be placed at this location on property managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Visitors are responsible for acquainting themselves with policies and rules pertaining to State Parks areas.
- The following items may not be placed in the geocache: food, illegal substances, medications, personal hygiene products, pornographic materials, hazardous materials, or weapons of any type.
- By searching for the cache, visitors agree that they are responsible for their own actions, and acknowledge that neither the State of Washington nor the cache owner is responsible for any loss or injury that may occur in relation to such search.
- Report any incident, problem, or violation to State Parks staff.
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