The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-05-14
CRUSHED TO DEATH.
A SHOCKING ACCIDENT.

Mr.. Daniel McMaston, the WELL
known and popular engineer of the
locomotive Alki, on the 3. & W. w. 4.
r., arrived at Newcastle yesterday
morning q little before ten o'clock.
with hi, train OF empty cars from this
city. He run the cars up under the
bunkers az usual. uncoupled his loco
motive, and started of down the grade,
hating for Q few moments at the coal
bin, little beyond. where he coaled
up for the return trip; and then drop
ped down the track little further and
stopped just beyond the head OF the
trestle which appears TO gulch there.
Here he got
OPP THE LOCOMOTIVE
And went under the trestle, which was
just high enough to admit of his
standing on the ground with bis head
touching the :" log Of the engine
boiler az he stood up betweep the ties.
In this position he was engaged in fix
ing up the spring to the reverse lever.
which had got out Of order. when one
Of the brakemen started down the
grade from the bunkers with three
loaded coal cars The coal cars are
usually brought to halt In coming
down the grade rs soon as they reach
tho coal bin where the locomotive takes
coal. This being the custom. the de-
ceased took no notice Of their approach
but continued his work. By some
means, however. it appears that the
brakes did not suffice ntly take hold or
were not put on strong enough, aid
the cars came down past the bin and
struck the locomotive with consider
able force This. of course. sent il
ahead with gradual but steady
motion. AS the locomotive started up
the eccentric shaft of the front driving
wheel began to press against deceased
right breast, pressing him 80 closely
against the ties that no found ii i'm
possible to dodge down between them.
In this
TERRIBLE SITUATION
he called out twice TO the fireman TO
back up the locomotive as he was being
crushed 10 death. But the horror
stricken fireman was as powerless to
stay the onward progress of the loco
motive. and thus rescue the doomed
man, as he would have been to stay the
fate Of Icarus. As the fore part Of the
passed over him and the
shaft pressed his head and shoulders
over against the tie on his left, the
edge of the ash box, which clears the
Ties only by few inches. struck his
right SIDE and crushed him remorseless
ly beneath its weight Here the dying
man uttered one
LAST pEsPAIRISG SHREK
and grappled desperately with the
great iron plate that was crushing
him out Of existence. 1t was oil the
work of few seconds. But moment
more and lie lay unconscious and dy-
ing beneath the monstrous weight of
the ash box with one of the dampeI
rods buried into the right side Of his
head. The alarm was sounded. and |
soon 40 excited crowd was summoned
to the scene. 1t was found absolutely
to back the engine off, and
so the ties beneath the dying man were
speedily cut away. Just as the body
was taken down. and about ten minutes
later he breathed his last. The re-
mains were immediately brought to
this city, and
AN AFFECTING SCENE
Was witnessed at the depot as many
friends of the deceased gathered around
his lifeless form. convulsed with bitter
sobs of grief Saving the scars and
bruises upon the right side, shoulders
and neck. and the CHASTITY wound on
the right side of his face, inflicted by
the sharp edge of the ash box and the
damper rods. the body Was not SCARED.
Deceased was . native of Georgetown.
Ontarior, Canada, where he has .
sister and brother now living. and aged
about so years. His parents were
Scotch. and he was sent back to Scot
land during ,his minority, where he
learned the trade of a machinist and
engineer He came TO California some |
years ago and was for some time en-
ployed as engineer on the c. p. II. r.
He arrived in this city about year
and half ago and has since been en-
ployed on the b. s. w. w. r.. r. He |
was man Of steady habits. aud gentle.
manly bearing and highly respected by |
oil who knew him. lie was also q |
member of the Engineers Brotherhood.
The sad tidings were telegraphed to
his sister. yesterday afternoon. The
funeral will take place to-day at 2 /