The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-18
DEATH By THE CABLE
One Man Killed, Two Injured,
on the Great Northern.
FRANK DEANS NECK BROKEN.
A Wire Cable Attached to . Piow
Broke From Its Fastening and
Struck the Three Men.

One man dead and two seriously injured
IS the addition made yesterday TO the rec
ord Of fatal accidents that have occurred
during the past week. and as IN most or
the other cases. a railroad track was the
scene.
The disaster occurred shortly after
o'clock yesterday afternoon. near the juno
ton OF First and Railroad avenues Work
engine No. 5i2 was attached TO the dirt
plow, with which the new depot site be-
tween Jackson and King streets Is being
filled in, by one-snch wire cable between
800 and 200 feet long. The engine was work.
ing at the crossing of Railroad and First
avenues. The track between the engine
ard the pillow made a curve, and about It's
center a small snatch block had been fast
ened to give leverage on the cable. The
situation might be represented by strung
bow which is drawn back for the dis
charge OF an arrow. The engine would
represent one end of the bow. the dirt
pillow the other, and the snatch block was
in the position of the fingers Of the archer.
The snatch block. or pulley. was tied 20
the track by a smaller wire rope. Eight
strands of the rope were passed between
the northernmost rail and one of the ties.
and were fastened on the inside by two
railroad spikes.
A small knot of persons whose passage
down First avenue was barred by the taut
cable. and two teams. stood waiting for the
way to clear. A policeman present warned
some of them 10 keep back. and they were
all gathered together about thirty feet
from the track. Near the shed owned by
the Pioneer Carriage Company Frank
Dean and ". w. Feas were seated on the
ground cleaning brick from the building
which is being torn down at the southwest
corner of Occidental avenue and Jackson
street They were back about thirty feet
from the track.
The engine pulled away, but until sand
was put on the track the wheels slipped on
the rails without catching. When the en-
CINE at last began 10 move slowly, the
cable stiffened and the block creaked. In
stinctively the small knot of people moved
back short space. Suddenly, when the
engine had proceeded only few yards. the
fiimsily secured snatch block was torn from
its fastening, and the straining cable, re-
leased in the middle. was drawn taut with
a whirr. The quick instinct of self-pres-
ervation caused all those standing near
but one to spring backward. A. Thurlow. 81
years DID, was in the foremost rank OF
those on the sidewalk. The wire struck
him on the right leg, below the knee. and
broke it in two places. The vibrating cable
was like long line of hot steel, and be-
fore its swift rush everything went down.
OF the two workers on the brick yard,
Dean was caught on the right side of the
head and tumbled over and over on the
pile of brick. His neck was instantly
broken. Feas was knocked senseless, his
right arm being fractured in two places.
The horses standing in the street were also
struck. but by nimbly springing in the
air escaped with slight injuries, the line
passing beneath them.
The wounded and dead were quickly sur
rounded by the startled spectators and
IL e. $I.x.fr .-f
the engine meanwhile backing down the
track Police Officers Mefford and Laub-
scher were on the spot. the former having
witnessed the accident. A message was at
once sent to headquarters and the patrol
wagon arrived about fifteen minutes later
Feas was the first taken, the wagon pro-
ceeding first to the station and thence to
Providence hospital. The others We're al
lowed to lie where they had been stricken
down. No one in authority representing
the railroad company was present. No as
sistance was offered. no questions asked.
Before the wagon had returned for Thur
low, who had expressed a desire to be
taken to his home, 2324 Third avenue. Cor
oner Askam and Deputy Coroner NJ. NJ
Teater appeared on the scene and went
from one group to another taking the
names and addresses of a number of wit
nesses. W. ]. Dean, son OF the unfortunate
Frank Dean, was near the spot, and hear
ing of his fathers fate was soon at his
side. He notified f. r. Butterworth &
Sons. and the body was taken to their
undertaking parlors.
Today would have been the sixtieth ami
versary Of Frank Deans birth. He was
the father W. J. Dean, who, with the aid
of two sisters, Daisy and Gertrude Dean
has been running the Parlor grocery at
the corner of First avenue and Cedar
street. The father had been working in the
hrickyard but three days. He will be bur-
led in the Lake View cemetery.
W. W. Feas is a young man who has
been brought up in Seattle and has many
friends here. He is an advertising solicit
tor. and being out OF money had started 10
work in the yard at o'clock yesterday
afternoon. BY o'clock he was in Proyi-
dence hospital. City Physician F. &
Palmer bandaged his arm and a slight cut
In the head and Feas will be about in a
couple OF months.
A. Thurlow is the well-known boat
builder. He Is the father of f. NJ. Thur
low. the candy maker, and is a prominent
Odd Fellow. When seen last nigh. he was
resting easily and seemed cheerful. He is
6. years old.