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Northwest Disaster: Avalanche and Fire
Book by Ruby El Hult
228 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1975
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November 13, 2017
Ruby El Hult's book Northwest Disaster: Avalanche and Fire is essentially two books in one, each being about 100 pages in length. Originally published in 1960, Hult provides a detailed account of the Wellington Avalanche that took place in the Washington Cascade Range and the Great Idaho Fire. These disasters both took place in 1910, about 5 months apart. The irony of the stories is that the spring snows of 1910 in the Pacific Northwest were immense, but by the end of the summer the Inland Empire region was tinder dry.
Each story is well researched and the book concludes with two very detailed appendices. The bulk of the information for the stories was taken from newspaper accounts and interviews with individuals that experienced the disasters (i.e., first hand accounts). Though Hult's writing at times is a bit dramatic, it is of high quality. The details related in the stories will certainly hold the reader's attention.
When the book was written, Hult was writing under her maiden name; her actual name at the time of publication was Ruby McAndrew. Ruby passed away on February 18, 2008, at the age of 95. She was a self taught historian, writing several sought after books and numerous articles concerning regional history in the Pacific Northwest. The bulk of Ruby's research materials were donated to the libraries at the University of Washington (Seattle) and Washington State University (Pullman).
Each story is well researched and the book concludes with two very detailed appendices. The bulk of the information for the stories was taken from newspaper accounts and interviews with individuals that experienced the disasters (i.e., first hand accounts). Though Hult's writing at times is a bit dramatic, it is of high quality. The details related in the stories will certainly hold the reader's attention.
When the book was written, Hult was writing under her maiden name; her actual name at the time of publication was Ruby McAndrew. Ruby passed away on February 18, 2008, at the age of 95. She was a self taught historian, writing several sought after books and numerous articles concerning regional history in the Pacific Northwest. The bulk of Ruby's research materials were donated to the libraries at the University of Washington (Seattle) and Washington State University (Pullman).
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