The word avalanche is derived from the French “avaler” (to swallow). An avalanche involves the rapId flow of a mass of sow down a slope, triggered by either natural processes or human activity. Avalanches have long been feared in Alpine countries. On March 1, 1910, on the Great Northern Railway line thorough the Cascade Range at Stevens Pass, WA, northeast of Seattle, 96 passengers and crew were killed by a massive avalanche that struck a stationary train.