The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-02
HE SAVED THE TRAIN
Engineer Gabriel Held the
Throttle in Face of Death.
ESCAPED WITH SLIGHT INJURIES.
The Lake shore Track Had Been
spread by "A Falling Tree-Ihe
Engine Derailed.

Engine Derailed.
A train load of passengers near to death,
and a cool-headed. heroic engineer, Keep
ing a firm hand on the throttle, rlshlhS
and almost losing mis- own life 70 save
the lives OF others. a derailed engine lean
ing helpless against an overhanglns bank,
a great charred log lying full across the
rails which it had torn up in its fan from
the cliff overhead, and crowd OF passen-
gers issuing from the coaches IN the rear,
ignorant at first of their danger or the
cause of II. and thrilling with emotion
only when they found the brave engineer
lying wounded and almost unconscious by
the side of his engine-this was the situa~
ton on the Seattle, Lake Shore & East
ern railroad late yesterday afternoon.
about halfway between the stations OF
Lake ard Wayne, about twenty miles OUT
from the city.
The Track Torn Up.
The train was the regular passenger
train No. ., due in Seattle at 5:25 o'clock
p. m, in charge OF Conductor Denny.
drawn by engine No. H. with Engineer
George w. Gabriel a the throttle and
Firman Fred Anderson on the box. The
train was about fifty minutes late, but on
account of the heavy fog and smoke was
making only about twelve miles an hour.
Suddenly, at precisely 5:22 O'Clock, not
more than two car lengths ahead or him,
the engineer saw an obstruction on the
track. He stood at his post and threw
on the air brake, bringing the train al
most to a dead standsul before the OBJ
struction was reached. But the track
itself had been torn up, and as the engine
slowly rolled up within a few feet OF
where a great log had fallen across the
track II tilted over on one side. As 1t
he . fireman hOfl
leaped. Anderson choosing the left side OF
the engine. while Gabriel jumped through
the open cab window on the right. The
fireman escaped unnjured, but the en-
glneer was not so fortunate. He sprained
his left ankle severely. and falling back
heavily against the end of a cross tie
struck with his full weight on one of the
sharp corners of the tie.
Passengers Did Not Know the Danger.
The train had been slowed down so
nicely that the passengers did not know
any serious danger was impending until
they came out of the coaches and then
most of them supposed that the accident
to the engine had been caused by actual
contact with the log. whereas the engine
did not touch the log at all. Only the
engine. tender and front truck of a
frigerator car had left the track. Had
Engineer Gabriel not stood a his post as
he did the result would have been incon-
ceiVably horrible. The scene of the acct
dent is at a sharp curve in the track,
which lies between a steep bank on the
right and the lake on the left great
tree, fully three feet in diameter, had been
burned about the roots and had toppled
from its perch on the cliff above, falling
directly across the rails and spreading
them badly. There was a heavy cargo
of human freight behind the engine. In
addition 10 the five coaches on the regular
train. three others had been picked up at
Woodinvlle from the excursion that had
gone out from Seattle 10 Snoqualmie falls
yesterday morning There were very few
passengers on the regular train, but the
coaches from the excursion were crowded.
But for the presence of mind of the en-
gineer. the whole train would have been
hurled down the slight fill into the lake.
and there would have been a scene of ter
ror and OF death.
Wounded Engineer Cared For.
The wounded engineer was picked up
and tenderly cared for. The nearest tele
graph station was eight miles away, at
WoodinVille, and the best that could be
done was to send messengers TO that point.
When the news reached this city 1t was
after O'Clock. and by 40 a special train
had been made up. consisting of an engine,
baggage car and three coaches This train
went directly TO the scene of the accident.
and brought in the crew and passengers of
turn at 1920. Or. G. W. Sharpes was in
attendance on Engineer Gabriel. The pa
troll wagon was at the station to meet the
train. and the injured man was placed on
a stretcher and carried 10 his home az 607
Fifth street. When seen by a reporter Of
the Post-Intelhgencer he was resting
quietly. and though suffering especially
from tho pain in his back moved himself
easily on the bed and spoke freely.
How II All Happened.
We were running rather slowly" he
sad. Il had just told Anderson that I
calculated We could make town in about
An hour and twenty minutes, which for
twenty-five miles was not going very fast.
did not notice anything amlss until just
as we were rounding the curve, ] saw the
log not more than two car lengths ahead
OF US, I put on the air and when ] found
the engine topping over 7 jumped clear
through the window which in my cab al
ways stands open. ! did not strike against
the window. but struck the ground in an
! awkward position. and fell back against
something sharp ard hard. ! think one
Of the cross ties. For some time after I
fell ] was IN a dazed condition. and il
seemed 70 me as II nobody would ever
come 20 relieve my agony and pull me m.
~ last some one came and 7 have had
( terrible joiting ever since. By the way
/ he added ~ h,s own accord. did YOU ever
notice that fully nine-tenths Of ne rail-
road accidents occur on Sunday
George W. Gabriel has had A railroad ex-
perience covering nearly thirty years Tie
came % tAis state from Wisconsin. ard
the ing the Oregon Improvement Com
pany took hold - the Lake Shore he was
master mechanic in tire shops Of the Ia
Ter. Since that time he has been on his
engine. and has never had an accident he
fore. Or Sharples sad last D.EHt th.t
b@vC1d 2 sprainad ankle ard a sprainei
back ~ could discover no INJURY, and that
p" 50 not aprrehand any serious or per
0ane0' injury. though the snrains might
Re very sl0W in getting we'll
Thieves broke INTO the butcher shop a.
Eerf Bldkc'eT SATURDAY night and carried
OF fa~ cash register and ccutents. The
less was small
Take Madison street. cars to Kcrny
street for Y y. c. 4. grounds today
Ire James street cars run direct 70 Y.
II c. :. l.ct.la track
= -.z-r-...s arc TIE best
THE MODERN
LABOE-SAXTNG
METHOD OF
| COOKING
Is TO Use
Y