The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-07
'INIONEDINTHE RUIN
Awful Suffering Tn
der Wrecked Locomotive.
slsAsTER ON MARROW GAUGE.
&adIy wounded. Thomas Major Is Held
EThfrteen Hours Eeek-Deep in Water,
while steam BIfEters His Face. 4

:, <<grIoek YESTERDAY morning was thrown from
- 80 fraek by COW near Elliott. and the engine
- Iad eight cars were dumped into Cedsr r4tef-
III hemas w. Major, the engineer, stuck 10 rs
"a 80 ard ras casriea down with the wreck into
= !. &|zse water and with broken leg aud crushed
~ 1zskles wa. forced 10 lie "a terrible agony FOR
]. = E1lrfecu hours pinned down BY the engine IN
~ be cold water TIE train was special, and
- |tft Seattle at eo'elock Thursday evening. II
Al |ook a load Of twenty-five coal cars az CEDAR
tlosIrstasn and was returning st about O'clock
yesterday morning. In engine No 8, which was
! - 'r1ring the train, were Thomas ". Major, en-
d kineer: Alexander W. Forbes, fireman; David
3|fcE4nrey conductor, and William MElOdy,
~. Brnkcrosn The night was dark and cloudy and
- be train wa running at speed of about twelve
: " 6ies an hour. About one mile east OF Elliott
- { Ne engineer saw COW on the track
- Xs the crossing Of the county road II was
80 ot more than seventy-fse feet ahead and there
II vas no time to stop the long, heavy train
Whether the cow turned to run ard fell into the
e attic guard or whether she was already IA
~ FhHn iEzk seen. the eye witnesses cannot Soy,
.ut she was struggling in the open ties
ID moment later when the engine struck ner.
sh1 hs engineer had pulled the throttle wide open
Il 70 as 70 lift the cory entirely of Of the track,
n1 bar her Iegs reaching down into the open ties,
W ererenfed her. The big animal rolled along
~ {nller the engine being pushed forward oy the
"a krebox sor 100 or 10 feet Then the engine
q E Jumped the rails and rolled down Afteea-toos
. hbankment into Cedar river.
sd II while the COW was rolling along under the
i. ugfne the men above were calculating upon
~ ne outcome. Engineer Major slowed down the
III ngtne, but remained in his seat. The hremGa
n ot ont on the tender, and the conductor was
e9l oidfng onto the step handle. As the engine
bent dazzling down the eTabaakrneat Conductor
y lex fancy WAS thrown clear ever the top % the
III Ihb, lighting unhurt IN the water. ''SCottT,f
rz nc fireman, also foaad himself IN the water
ste8 InhurL
q II Nai0ly, the brakeman. struck IN TIE
sss ead end palnfnly bus no. seriously hurt Bu:
~ kboxe the noise OF escaping steam and tons Of
Il koal tumbling down in the river heard tlie
bef+ rs OF the engineer.
es# The river is cold mountain stream, and it
rux{ksns sHelied considerably by recent rains The
~, ~, had furned its side. AMI Majors
4 III h had became wedeed into the iron gork
ST kHnd the throttle, and he almost sub
ns# Urged in the cold wateF. To add 10 his awful
arg fuation the steam from some broken pipe
BIAS escapsng aud threatened 70 seald the w
- flunate man. All TIE lights a45 gone ont in
mi be crash. ana il as first difficult t. get g.
IN NE engineer Finally one OF fhe men found a
IN cnap shovel, aud got down and held II n front
y u Majors face u shield him from the scaId.ng
81 sea1n. Another found way in, and BY stand
ing IN the water he wss znle 70 hold the eng
Il Engineers head ca. If water and bathed the a.
4 4 ready kca;ied fate.
mi II was found impossible 10 pun him out and
ns{ fhe ttOrrifed men were obliged to see tbe man
Z, n.ffauifsf, powerleas 20 help him BY reaching
- dcsn Ia the water the fireman succeeded in
ni} sstslng al the valve, wliea allowed the steam
arz N BE- blown OF, end Ehat danger ATerted
I&I One OF the brakeIaen ran up the track 70
3 <enton, three miles away, aud autographed the
Efact Of the wreck 70 Seattle. wreeking train
~ FEas Immediately made up and arrived at Gas
kfkccne al In yesterday morning.
IN Major bad been ia the winter for nearly four
'h<fhoufk, aud there Was stu no way 20 get him
III cut He was In such terrible pain at times that
box be would beg his companions 70 put an end TO
his sufeFings BY killing him They gave him
% esery stimulaHt that could be had but he fre-
'rs qucntly became unconscious
- II was Impossible TO lift the engine and the
y Xwrecktng crew put In its energies upon break.
1f1g the throttle lever snd the circular piece OF
2 Exteel that held the engineers feet. Long cold
tScaiseis were brought aud while one man would
aes hold the cad OF one under water the other
Il would strike. The chseI would rebound and
nfI1t would require a long time to fnd the same
i paee again. II Was only after thirteen hours of
f1ncessant work the engineer was liberated from
MS terrible position
ssX lie WAS placed on cushions and brought 10 Sc
~ attic immediately. From the train he was
tzken 80 Providence hospital, where his wife is
Y now At his bedside.
'kf A. examination OF his injuries az the hospital
= ~ III. Hutyis smith disclosed that the left leg
a. Vas broken half way between the knee and the
Va loot and both ankles were irightiuily bruised
ef kyefything Is being done for him that can pos
s1hly be done, aud II is thought that he viii re-
NJ enseF
: ~ Major is a bsother-inlaw OF United States
III coannalssioner James kieicr, and with bis wife
eh end two ehilden, aged II aud Ia years respect
- 1vesy. lives on Norman street, near Tenth He
q &fine here year aud hall ago from Pennsyi-
vsalas where be had followed engineering since
HHl There he was on the Lehigh Valley aud
We Bangor, Portland 6 Poughkeepsie railroads
u His AGED mother nov lives at Ashland. Pa
Mr.. Major is regarded as an old man. out mis-
~ CSC e only y years His hsir is gray and his
sksn has grown swarthy and weather beaten by
many years OF exposure. lie is one OF the best
I'D most trusted men In the Oregon Improve
n insult Conpanys employ, and his companions
s< Sena scqaaintaaoes are very much shocked over
III tbis terrihie adventure.
ar Eight cars ssit the track aad the Others came
d ~ : stand without injury. SIX Of the cars are
IL oUfasig demolished aud the engine is also in
ID fnAa snsps, taoagh u can lie used again after
II VIII be day % tive before reg
II *nssr trains are running asa{n