October 11, 1923, was a perfect fall day in the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon. Steep slopes of dark green ponderosa pine and Douglas fir rose to a clear blue sky, while red maples and yellow cottonwoods filled the Rogue Valley below. A brisk breeze carried the smell of evergreens and the promise of cold nights.
Around noon, train 13 of the Southern Pacific Railroad chugged out of the sleepy town of Ashland. It was headed toward San Francisco, but first it had to travel through a half-mile tunnel, just before it would cross the California state line.
The train snaked its way up switchbacks that were so steep, a second steam locomotive had to help pull it. Passengers finished up their lunches and took in the views or discussed recent events. The sudden death of Warren G. Harding in early August had shocked the country and left “Silent Cal” Coolidge in charge at the White House. A day earlier, Giants outfielder Casey Stengel had smashed a ninth-inning inside-the-park home run to beat the Yankees in the first game of the World Series. Game 2 had just started as the train was pulling out of town; would Babe Ruth be able to rescue the Bronx Bombers?
As it neared Siskiyou Pass at 4,129 feet, the train stopped at the northern end of Tunnel 13. Built in 1887, the tunnel had been the final link connecting Oregon and California by rail. A 23-year-old nurse named Lawrence Joers was among a handful of passengers who disembarked to watch the crew uncouple the helper engine, fill the tender with water, and test the air brakes for the coming descent… read more >
