Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-25
CAPT. wArERmOrsE AND WIFE.


One of the victims of the late railroad
d isaster at Tehachepi Pass, Southern
California, was Capt. Lee Waterhouse.
The Captain made his last trip on the
ship Theobald from Philadelphia to
San Francisco, where he arrived last
October. He left the ship there. and
came to the Sound where he spent three
months visiting relatives. At the time
of the disaster he was on his return
home to Gardiner, Maine, accompanied
by his family. His wife is the daughter
of ]. T. Williamson, of Utsalady, and
she has one sister, Mrs. Chas. Smith, in
Seattle, and another, Mrs. Osmond Case,
in Port Gamble.
The clippings following are from the
Los Angeles Express. of Jan. 23d. and
will be read with interest by many:
Both ancient and modern story are
illustrated with many conspicuous feats
OF herOism, which will never let us for
get what a grand thing a human being
may sometimes become, whom the time
and the Occ asion is presented. One of
these occasions was offered at the late
disaster at Tehachepi, on the Southern
Pacific Railway. Mr.. Lee Waterhouse.
wife, and two children, were among the
occupants of sleeper when the runa-
way train made the terrible run down
the mountain and was dashed TO pieces.
1t is not necessary to recite the hor-
rors of that occasion. The heart-rend-
ing details are already fresh in the
minds of our readers. The noble efforts
of those who were able to render assist
ance have also been fully told. But
there WAS one scene of heroic daring
that is only partially known. 1t seems
that as soon as Mrs. Warehouse recov-
cred from the surprise and stunning eff
fects of the crash, she managed to make
her way from the midst of the debris to
the opsn air. But the heart of the wife
and mother quickly turned to her loved
ones whom she left behind her buried
in the ruins. They might be dead, or if
not dead, a more terrible death awaited
them, as the flames of the burning car
we're rapidly approaching. She at once
forced her way into the car, which was
filled with smoke almost to suffocation,
and seized one of her children, which
was brought safely into the open air.
With the dangers accommodating she re-
turned for the second child which was
also brought forth under much difficult
ty. It was now that the woman rose in
in the very sublimity of human action.
Her unconscious husband, very giant
in form, was lying amidst the debris,
surrounded by sitting smoke, while the
devouripg flames were darting tongues
over and around his person. But not
in the least daunted, she rushed into the
very jaws of death, seized her husband,
and with a strength born of something
beyond almost human comprehension
she dragged the body to place of safe
~. In the act, we are told. she was bad
" burned, fractured one of her hands,
and dislocated shoulder. If this was
not heroism of the highest type, then it
was something more that has e. to be
named.
This afternoon at 2:3) o'clo1a, good
| " company of citizens, both ladies and
gentlemen, met at Mr.. Albert Browns
parlOrs on Main street. Mr.. HUFF, of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, was
present and conducted appropriate re-
| ligious services over the remains Of
Captain Lee Waterhouse, late of Gardi-
ner, Maine. Mrs. Waterhouse was able
to be present on this occasion,
showing that she is much recovered
from her injuries in the late railroad
accident. The body of Mr.. waterhouse
is laid out in a handsome casket which
will he s7n. East for sepulture by train
toil.,rro I.,orning. Mrs. Waterhouse
remains here some time that she anc
her children may fully recover from
their wounds.