St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-25
SWIFT TO DESTRUCTION.
The Awful Catastrophe which Befe1l
Lewis Harrington in the Rocky
ABYSS on the Skagitt River.

It will be remembered that Lewis Harrington,
q prominent engineer Of Hutchinson, in this
state, while engaged in the management of a
surveying party, 200 miles up the Skagitt river,
from the city of Seattle, fell from bluff into a
ravine, and was instantly killed, on Thursday,
August IA. He was brother-in- law of w, w.
Pendergast of the state department of public in
struction, whose home is also at Hutchinson, and
who met the wife, son and daughter returning
eastward with the remains of the
Northern Pacific road at Bralnerd on riday
night. The body and family arrived at st. Paul
Saturday forenoon and at four o'clock that af-
ternoon went out on the Hastings g. Dakota
road, disembarkng and taking carriages at Sem
pier for Hutchinson, where the funeral took
place Sunday afternoon at four o'clock,
Mr.. Prendergrast gives the GLOBE
the following particulars of this
sad and fatal accident. On the
above mentioned day, Mr.. Harrington, having
made arrangements for the surveying party in
his charge and laid out their work, was about to
return to Seattle where his wife and daughter
were awaiting him. Some business, however,
demanded his attention across sharp ridge bor-
dering on a deep rayine, which objective point
could not be reached except by going full mile
around it. AS Mr.. Harrington was in a hurry to
depart he and twoSotherS thought to save time by
climbing across the back Of this ridge. One Of
the party successfully crossed, but as
Mr.. Ii. was about IN the middle
of it a portion of rotten rock gave way
beneath his feet, when he slid some fifteen feet
down the side of the canon with such force that
when his feet struck projecting rock, which
would have otherwise given him foot hold, he
bounded face forward into the abyss and fell
sheer $50 feet to the rocks below, crushing his
skull and otherwise mangling his body.
The two companions, one on each side of the
ravine witnessed the fearful accident, as did also
Deputy Surveyor Sheets, who was about 100 feet
from where the body struck i'll the bed of
the sraVine. They gathered up the remains
and taking measures for their preservation as
far as possible, onveyed them seventy miles in
an open dug-out down the Skagitt river where
they were placed on board steamer and arrived
at Seattle in two days after the accident. Here
they were met by Gen. w. NJ. McMieken, sur
yeyor general of Washington territory, who came
on from Olympia. the capitol at once on being
telegraphed and who there Intercepted the
of the deceased, who going further west,
who on his arrival rendered every assistance to
the bereaved family. The remains were en-
balmed at Seattle and placed in sealed casket
under his especial direction and transportation
arranged for their sad journey to st. Paul.
Mr.. Harrington was fifty-four years of age and
the oldest inhabitant in Hutchinson, having orig
inally surveyed and plated the township, and
having been there twenty nine years. He leaves
widow, son, twenty-four years of age, and a
daughter, twenty, and his death will be held
there as public cause of sorrow, so greatly was
he held in esteem at home and in the state.