The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-14
SMOTHERED In SAND.
Death Overtakes a Workman in
the Sewer Tunnel
A SURVIVORS, TRAGIC STORY.
4 Spring Bursts on Three Msn-One
Buried in Quicksand and Another
Barely Escapes Death.

Three Of the men working in the Lake
Union sewer tunnel last night struck g
spring, which flooded the tunnel. One of
them was smothered and the other
two barely escaped with their lives.
One Of the men escaped the flush of
sand and water. and, making his way 1, 200
feet to the mouth of the tunnel, was drawn
up to the surface, distance of seventy
feet, and gave the alarm. A large force of
men was Immediately sent into the tunnel
to rescue the two men who were caught,
but succeeded in only finding one of them.
At 8 o'clock last evening the night shift,
composed of Daniel Mclean, Peter Faber
and Thomas Michigan were lowered down
the seveny-foot shaft to the tunnel, where
they began work in sixty-foot lead about
100 feet from the shaft. The lead
was cut in semi-circle around
piece Of bad land which
proved menace to tunneling, and at
IL so o'clock last night the three men were
at work in this lead. Suddenly, without
warning, great flush of sand and water
came out into their faces and
drove them backward. They had
struck spring which flooded the lead
with quicksand and water to depth of
SIX feet, while the main tunnel was flooded
to the depth of three feet Mclean
shouted:
Run, boys, runr'
They all started to get away. Faber
was the first out. He was carried along
by the force of the water. During the ex-
element the lights in their caps
went out, and they were
left in total darkness. Faber made
his way to the mouth of the tunnel and
gave the alarm. man was sent tor
Albro Gardner, city engineer, who lives at
the corner of Sixth and Bell streets. He
had retired, but was soon at the mouth of
the shaft, and directed that eight or ten
men Immediately go down and rescue Mel
hgan and Mclean.
Michigan was found by the relief party in
the main tunnel in an exhausted condition.
He was in sand up to his waist, was covered
with bruises and was stupeiied. He said
that he had not heard of Mclean after the
spring was struck. He was carried out to
the surface, where he was given medical
treatment, and revived sufficiently to talk
coherentiy.
The relief fore searched in vain for Nc
Lean. They entered the lead and cleared
away the sand and waded through the
water. 1t is believed that in endeavoring
to escape he fell down, and is
now covered by six or more
feet of quicksand. Up to o'clock this
morning his body had not been recovered,
but the relief force is still searching and
has instructions to remain at work until
successful.
Shortly after the accident in the tunnel
great excitement was caused by the blow
ing of the whistle of the steam winch, and
large crowd of curious people assembled
about the shaft and remained there all
night.
Mclean was about 40 years old and has
wife and three children living in the city.
Their home is on West street. The unfor-
tunate family are not yet aware of the
calamity that has befallen them, for Nc
Leans comrades shrank from the task of
telliny them.
"Why don't you notify herr" asked one
of the engineers of member of the tun-
neling shift.
"oh, can't tell the poor woman about
it. 1t will take far drawer man than me
to break the news"
So Mrs Mclean and her little ones spent
the night in peaceful dreams, ignorant OF
husband and father.
Peter L. Faber gave the following ac-
count of the accident:
Mclean, Michigan and myself were working
from the west end of the lead, which is to con-
meet with the main tunnel. In putting in the
timbers we had to use jaokscrews and drive
them up into the solid earth. Water COM
menced to leak from the top of the tunnel and at
the breast and we worked hard to put in
timbers and shut it of. The water gained and
we saw it was going to be a bad break. Mclean
saw the flood when it started in earnest and
cried out:
my God, boys. run or we are lost"
We all started through the lead, and
We went by heard Mclean
make gurgling sound. The water
and sand forced me along the passage,
and l reached the mouth of the shaft and pulled
the bell for the engine to lift the car
The story of the escape of Tom Michigan,
the foreman of the shift in the tunnel, as
he told it to PoST-INTELLiGEYcERr reporter
is thrilling one. He said:
As we wero working away in the lead, sud
denly stream of water spurted out right In
front OF u.s. We grabbed planks and stopped it
for while. Then it broke out in another place
aud / got smother plank and tried TO stop it.
but everything gave way and the water came
I'm in a regular food. 1t tore tho plank out of
my hands and threw me back, Just as Dan Nc
Lean yelled
"Ruu for your lives, boys"
lie and Pete started to run, and that was the
last | saw OF Dan. was knocked down, but
scrambled up again. The water aud sand
poured in on us and swept US away. l don't
know Just what happened after that until
brought, up against wall. was covered up to
my neck. l felix around with my hands
and from the timbers thought / must be
in the main tunnel Ii was pitch dark aud
couldn't tell which way 10 go, but began TO
grope along towards where thought the shaft
was When got about 10 feet saw the boys
coming with light, aud they took me out.
Dau and Pete were both ahead Of me when we
started 10 run. and as was swept along passed
right over something that felt like a rubber
coat II must have been poor Dan Then l
caught a gimpe Of something, before
my light went oai, that looked ike
q rubber hat I guess 1t was Dams.
think tho food carried me night over him and
and that he was buried in the sand had my
watch hanging up on the side OF the wall when
the break came and II Il wasn't swept away 4.
ought 10 be hanging there yet.
GRAND CENTRAL HOTEL SITE.