The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-11
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lifted from the track, as above sug-
gested. il is also assumed that the train
was running at an unusual rate OF speed.
and that the engineer .'lost his head ano
caused the accident himself.
However, the statements of Conductor
Darling and of the ST. Paul and Tacoma
Mill Company's night Waterman are
against this theory of the accident The
latter says:
II was sitting near the track when the
train passed, and IL was going 81 an IN
usually slow rate of speed. The switch Is
about 80 feet from where | was at the
time and when the engine went over IL
shook the ground under me- L went al
once TO the switch. and IL was turned
half open. | am satisfied IL was tempered
with. Yes. 1t could have been tempered
with after the accident. The whole mat
ter is none of my business. and / do not
busy myself very much with business not
my own. | saw no suspicious characters
about last night, but the switch Is located
in dark place. and some one could prob
ably have come in and tempered with 1t
without being observed by me.
Every hour this night Waterman has to
turn in a call from n point less than nifty
feet from the switch. Conductor Darling
was asked particularly regarding the
chance that any interested party might
have TO throw the switch after the accident
happened. he said:
II came out Immediately after the train
stopped, and the engineer or fireman
would not have had an opportunity to
touch the switch before l arrived. The
switch was turned entirely open, not half
Il h. inc a
train was running at an average slow rate
about twelve miles an hour. with the
old engineers IN charge We sometimes
went slower and sometimes faster than We
were running last night"
The managers of the American Railway
Union declare that no railroad man would
tamper with a switch in this manner, and
they are divided as 10 whether it vas actu-
ally tempered with or the accident re-
suited from the alleged inexperience OF
the engineer. They have promised To as
sist in experimenting all persons who have
meddled with the property OF the company,
and especially the persons who fired upon
the Northern Pacific trains.
In coming down the grade into the city
the train had considerable momentum.
The force was sufficient to push the big
locomotive along $50 feet and drive the
trucks of the baggage car, next to the
locomotive. deep into the hard ground.
The belief that the switch was par
TALLY open or "blocked" is strength
ened by the fact that the locomotive
left the track Immediately at the switch,
and did not go forward on the siding.
This same fact is used by the railroad men
on strike, in pointing arguments that the
switch was all right and that the locomo-
tive jumped the track when the engineer
reversed it.
There being a double track to Edison.
the main line is not blocked. although the
wrecked locomotive and tender are spread
over one of the main line tracks and the
beginning of the siding. When the loco
motive toppled over, it was about
three feet above the track blowing
along the embankment, and its
fall upon the track was free
downward plunge of three feet, in addition
TO the momentum gained in turning over.
The great force of the falling engine, as
the night Waterman says, shook the
ground under him, block away.
The executive committee of the Ameri-
can Railway Union this evening adopted
the following:
WHEREAS, A uepiOraDie accident DaS
occurred 10 engine 400. pulling No. 2 pas
senger train from Portland on the evening
of July 8. by leaving the track at Twenty
first street switch and
WHEREAS An erroneous impression
seems TO exist among q certain class, con-
veyed through the press, that the same
was caused by the switch being tempered
with by the strikers; therefore be i.
"Resolred, That We in our Judgment,
having carefully examined into the cir
cumstances, have come to the unanimous
conclusion that the derailtng of the engine
was caused by the defective condition of
the engine wheels. or track, or by any
overt act committed; and be II further
'Resolred That any and all acts of law
lessness proven to have been committed by
the strikers or their sympathiZers have our
condemnation in our strongest language,
and we will bring all our influence TO bear
10 bring the cnlprits to justice.
"ResOtred. That copy of these resolu-
tions be given to the press for the widest
publicity"