Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-03-12
Accident on the Seattle COalrOad.

hONhNOsAS w.
The following particulars OF the
wrecking of a train OF cars on the
Seattle and Walla-walla Railroad,
on the 9th instant, we copy from the
Mteuigencer; The most serious mis-
hap that has yet befallen the Seattle
and Walla-walla Railroad Company
occurred on the Lake trestle, two
miles from Newcastle. The engine
4. 4. Denny WAS coming from the
mine to town at the time, drawing
behind it train of eighteen loaded
coal cars. At some unusual circum-
stance, while crossing the trestle,
the engineer was alarmed, and, look
ing back, saw the cars sinking as
though the trestle beneath them was
giving way under their weight.
Quick as q thought he put on oil
steam, and the powerful engine
leaped forward with mighty effort.
This saved it and it's tender and one
coal car. the coupling pin behind
the latter parting under the tremen-
dous strain, leaving the other seven
teen cars on the crashing, descend
ing trestle. The trestle, in its high
est point, was 95 feet above the
ground, and its whole length OF GOO
feet was covered by the train. All
went together-an awful wreck of
timbers and cars, with l60 tons Of
coal mixed through aud over it..
Three men were on the back cars.
James Williams, the Newcastle su-
perintendent, leaped off, and alight-
ed in the gulch below, not much the
worse for his adventure. II. l..
Thorne, the conductor, was on the
rea: car, and he also leaped off.
Unfortunately for him, both feet
went into al open space between
ties, and in falling, while in that
helpless, imprisoned position, both
legs were broken just above the an
kles, the left leg SO badly broken as
to endan ger its further preservation.
The third man was VIM. Stewart, a
new miner in Newcastle, who was
sitting on one of the cars near the
middle of the train, and who fell a
distance of sixty or eighty feet, and
was covered with coal beside. He
was fearfully bruised and cut. The
injured men were taken ON the Den-
ny to Renton as soon as possible,
where Mr.. Thorne was left at the
house of his father -in-law, Dir.
Smithers, and Mr.. Stewart was left
ut the house of Mr.. Miller. Doctors
Bagley and Wesle visited them i'm
mediately. Stewart became delirious
little after noon, and remained so
until his death at 6 o'clock the same
evening.
The cause of the accident was
that the support to one of the bents
had been Slapped by the water in the
canyon, and, rs the whole structure
was fastened together. the weaken
ing of one part meant the weaken
ing, sinking and destruction of all.
The direct loss, in the destruction
of trestle and cars and loss of coal
will be fully five thousand dollars,
and the indirect loss, by the failure
in transportation, detention of ship
ping, &c, nearly or quite as much
more. Two or three weeks will be
required to repair the damage.
Mr.. Stewart was q new conner,
having recently arrived frem Ma
naimo, and had been at Newcastle
only fortnight. He was about 80
years of age. 1t is unknown wheth.
er he leaves family or not. Mr..
Thorne has an accident policy of
$4,000, which, as long as he is dis
abled, will yield him an income Of
SIS week.