The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-29

TACOMA, Nov. 2s.-TSpecial With the
roar of an immense tidal wave beating
against the shores of the Sound, 600 feet
OF the ocean docks plunged into the bay
at ii o'clock tonight Half a dozen steam
were disabled III. III. Ailger's bost-
house, containing himself, wife and six
children, was turned upside down.
spllling the children out Of the hunks
INTO the icy water. John Hanson.
watchman at the Northern Pacific
hydraulic pump. went down in the debris
and cannot be found. He was roasted 20
death or drowned, in the opinion of steam
ooatmen. The fire department was called
out. and before midnight 800 people had
gathered at the wharf. For distance of
], 500 feet the Ocean dock had settled, and
Il was feared the big wheat elevators and
coal bunkers would pitch into the bay
Several times. when the ground settled
from six inches TO q foot, a panic
resulted and there was wild rush for
places Of safety. All the cattle pens of the
Northern Pacific railroad. together with
the Office end Of the company's 3o0-foot
freig ght house, went down together, aud
fire at once broke out where the
p1mp station disappeared in the
debris. At midnight Alger was
heard shouting IN the darkness.
Joe Herbert, master OF the steamer
Fayorite, called for silence. Zone of my
girls is gone Ailger shouted. with emo
tion. There was so much excitement that
few heard him. He was asked to repeat.
THE tidal wave, " shrieked the distracted
father. turned my boat house entirely
over. and one of my girls is lost" At
once men sprang 10 man the boats and
assist in the search. Allger has four
daughters and two sons, and ali lived
happily in the boat house. Several other
persons are missing.
Nearly all of the dock which fell into the
bay is that portion OF the water front
which the city OF Tacoma has been trying
to secure from the railroad and the Ia
coma Land Company. Already the dam
age IS estimated to aggregate s50,0o0
Steamboatmen claim that tidal wave
twenty-five feet highlrushed up the Sound
and tore the dock away. Employees at the
dock believe there has been a great sub
terranean landslide, or that great iissure
or hole has been formed in the bay, al
lowing the docks TO be swallowed up. So
great was the force of the tidal wave, that
Nat Bailey, q deckhand on the Skagit Chief,
vas thrown from his bunk, cutting and
bruising his face. A. d. Market, fireman
of the same boat. was flung clean through
a side door leading to the engine room and
landed in water knee deep on the
deck. John Bingham. mate of the
Skagii Chief. heard the roar of the troubled
waters, but before he could move the crash
came. throwing logs and small boats
in all directions. r ID. Ross, of
Psbst & Ross, says his firm will lose
5000 in the loss of the steamer Stampede,
which was being repaired close TO the
dock. Ross believed the Stampede was
sunk, but latter found her disabled. on
the tide fats The steamer Susie
was injured and began leaking, and
il was feared she would sink be-
fore steam could be got 10 pump her
out The steamers City of Seattle, Skagit
Chief, Blue Star. FavorIte and Meta se-e
among those Knocked about by the waves
Joe Herbert, of the Favorite. says "The
sea that struck rs was fully twenty-five
feet high. 1t caught Us just as / jumped
on deck. having been aroused by the roar
of the water. THE sea swept over Us and
puiled down several hundred feet of dock
near us. We were torn from our fasten-
ings, together with the Skagtt Chief and
other steamers. II must have been tidal
wave from down the Sound"
For few minutes after the wave struck
there was yeIliug for help in all directions.
Two men on the Meta, especially, shouted
ike madmen. No cry was heard from
Hanson, the watchman. A clerk and
watchman in the freight house we're not
injured. although at / O'Clock half of
the freight house was settling. and
II was expected TO tumble into
the Sound. All the flied-in portion
OF the dock settled some what. The piling
carried away vas in front of the II lled-in
port on, and pretty Well worn. Hydraulic
ruuus we're at work tonight. hydraulick-
ing away the bluff and filing In the bay.
Hanson vas at his post, watching the
pamps in the engine house, when the
crash came A large amount OF valuable
freight books OF record. together with the
ofsce Of the Pacific Coast Steamship Com
pany. vent down with the Office end Of
the freig ght house.