The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-25
A HISTORIC EVENT.
Seattle Had the First Crema.
ton on the Coast.
AN INDIAN CHIEF THE SUBJECT.
sannary Measures Take. by DR.. weed
% KIN Infection Rrsm Smallpox
Stories Of the Epidemie.

belongs the honor of having had the first
case of scientific cremation in the North
west. There was no expensive cremstory,
nor any OF the appliances thought neces-
sary where this method of disposing Of the
dead 10 in vogue, but the work was as well
done as though the body had lain in q
massive furnace and weeping mourners
had received the final ashes in Q costly urn.
The occasion Of the cremation was an cpl
demic of SIN allpox and the subject Was an
Indian chief.
Il was IN the summer of 1877 that the
great smallpox epidemic swept over Sc
attic. The population of the city at that
time was not more than two or three
thousand and was scattered over consid-
erabis territory. 90 that the disease was
cornparatively easy TO control among the
whites. But the Indians were more difficult
TO deal with. Their wandering habits and
lack of all sanitary precautions led to the
spread of the disease among them TO an
alarming extent and caused the health
authorities no end of trouble.
On . pleasant Sunday during the preva-
lence Of the plague DR.. g. A. Weed, who
was then health officer as well as mayor of
the city, received notification that dead
man lay in an old cabin out near the
shore Of Lake Washington. He at once
mounted his horse and rode out over the
trail--for this was long before any Of the
streets leading to the lake had been cut
through-to investigate the report.
The shores Of the lake at that time were
q dense Jungle of almost African solitude
and impenetrability. Nature had scarcely
been disturbed, and the great frs and ce-
dars waved in the August sunshine over 9
scene as wild and primitive as 1t was SOM
Der and impressive. Standing in the GEN.
ter Of q small clearing. and upon almost
the identical spot where il now the payil-
ion at Leschi park, was . little log cabin
which had been used and deserted some
time previous by loggers. 1t was surrounded
by the debris from the broken camp, and
was a. dilapidated and lonely . place rs
one would wish to see. TO this spot the
mayor had been directed, and as he open ed
the rickety little door the sight that pre-
scented itself needed but cursory glance
from his experienced eye to tell him what
the trouble was. Prone on the door and
partially covered by an old blanket lay all
that was mortal of "Chief Nose" As old
settlers will remember, this chief was the
leader Of small faction among the Indi-
ans: like his brethren. he lived the list
less, wandering life of the Coast tribes,
roaming here and there about the Sound
and holding petty sway over his diminu-
tive kingdom. But when the dreaded
smallpox overlook him he was ignomini-
ously deserted by his cowardly followers,
and after struggling alone with the awful
scourge his spirit took its fight to the
happy hunting grounds, whence. it is to
be hoped, it returned at many . midnight
hour to haunt the souls of those who so
brutality cast him off.
In those days it was difficult matter to
procure persons willing to care for those
who were sick or had died Of the small
pox, and the doctor cogitated long and
deeply; then he took OF his coat, rolled
up his sleeves and proceeded to pile the
shanty from floor to ceiling with wood
and brush. This done. he applied the
match and stood back, with q smile of
satisfaction, to watch the burning of the
pyre. But he had not counted on the ter
rife confagration that ensued. The pile
of sticks and logs. perfectly dry after the
long sum mer season, burned like finder;
the flames shot into the air in long forks
of hre. carrying with them great pieces OF
the frail shake roof. which fell. with
showers of sparks, upon the dried leaves
and twigs of the clearing; these in turn
caught fire, causing imminent danger to
the surrounding woods.
But the worthy mayor was equal to the
emergency. and Immediately began q
series Of gymnastic exercises worthy Of .
member Of the Seattle football team.
Fortunately there was an old oyster can
Just without the cabin. This the
mayor seized. and clambering through
the brush to the lake, scooped il full of
water and rushing back to the scene of
action emptied its contents upon the burn
ing refuse about the cabin. This was re-
peated time and again. the mayor occa-
sionallv varying the performance by
wildly executing q war dance upon the
little tongues Of FIRE that were creeping
toward the woods. Ii was fortunate for
the doctor that fire cannot burn for ever
at least in this worid--elss with the heat
of the burning mass and the violence of
bis exercises his spirit might have winged
its way TO join that OF the lamented
"Mose, and this history have had still
more tragic ending. But when the pile
had sunk into heap of glowing embers,
his honor, having first iaved his heated
form in the cool waters of the lake
mounted his good steed and turned his
face toward home, happy in the conscious
ness of having performed deed worthy of
the coming Queen City.
Towards the evening of the same dsy
the mayor, accompanied by Mr.. A. A.
Denny. TO de out TO the spot again to wit
ness the results of the cremation. The
body was com pletely incinerated, all that
was left OF poor Nose being the bleached
shape Of the thigh bone, which crumbied
20 dust at the touch.
Such was the melancholy fate of one of
the historical characters of the early his.
tory of Seattle.
Among the Indians who were with the
chief at the old camp and who fed 1t the
appearance of the disease. wero an old
grandmother. her daughter and two chill
dren. They were traced TO Salmon bay,
thence TO a point on the Duwamish river,
and we're finally captured near the present
site Of the Sisters academy, in South Sc
attic, where they were placed under quar-
sntine. and where the mother of the chill
dren died of the smallpox. One day during
the epidemic, a. DIR. Weed was riding out
to attend TO the quaranuned Indians, his
attention was attracted by an old shaxi or
cloth which had been thrown over some
brush. and which appeared TO move In q
from bis horse he raised the cloth, and was
astounded at the sight of sixash taking
q bath
The old grandmother had scooped q
hole in the ground. filled 1t with water,
which aha had uarunsa hv thrnwsrpg n