The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-29
WRECKED BY A BIG SLIDE.
m THE LAKE DELL ADDITION.
Several People more or Less brufsed'
and One woman IL Heseueo
Through = Hole Chopped I'm the
Roof Of Her House-Loss Amounts
- "a. 0Oa-A Noisy Rash In the
Night That scared the NetEhbors-

big chunk OF the Lake Den addition.
bordering On Lake Washington. took q
slide towards tina, placid sheet Of water
about midnight Monday night. AS tins
rsAss OF earth, rocks ard trees moved on
!fs way toward tina lake IL encountered
three frame houses. 8 portion OF one
mans garden and divers hencoops. None
of these obstacles. however, awaited IN
stopping ire slide. which continued On It's
way TO the marsh below.
It was pitch dark wien the slide started,
ard it required some time for the oeca-
pants OF the tBres houses 10 make a sur
yey Of .iae premises affected and 10 esti-
mate the amount th.y were out IN the
wgecksge. Several people were more or
less bruised and scratched by falling
bricks and plaster Inc three houses
weFe demolished as IL Kansas cyclone
had swoopea down from the hill and
picked Ghera up. And six people. two men.
d woman and three cfi.dI~a. escaped with
their lives as by miracle.
The lose all told ID about e. 500 anc may
foot up 10 $3.50. The residents OF the
addition, In the vicinity OF tho slide. blame
tlis Bicycle path which skirts the han
stsoss Lake Deli avenue The extreme
aeayg rains OF Sunday and Monday locs-
Iaaad Things up SO that il made il an easy
soAttar Ior the earth. once started, TO
make good progress toward the low
ground bordering on the lake Residents
81 the vicinity say that the water. pour
ing under long wooden tTestle built III
ne side Of the hill hy the Queen City
Good Roads Club. ioesenel the supports
and washed out crack SO that the earth
above was loosened and fell. Ii was the
earth from the brow Of the hill. along the
bicycle path. and not that on which the
houses rested. that was moved. As it was
preeipitated down and actoss Lake bel
avenue 1t struck the three frame houses
broadssde.
William Chapman and his family, con-
sisting Of his Wife, daughter and two
sons, with his brother-in-iaw. James Pur-
cell. occupied two bed rooms IN the upper
story of one Of the three houses OH LAKE
Dell avenue. This house was smashed
into boards and spiinters- After il
all over no one part of 1t was 10 be recog-
nlzed as a portion OF a dwelling save Inc
roof. This Wac almost. intact. and II was
to this that the family owe the fact that
they are now able to feli the story Mr..
Chapman. his wife and little daughter oe-
cdpisd tile front bed room. They were
Weakened out of a sound sleep by hearing
t1a cracking OF tinih6rs, and feeling
themselves propelled through space at a
rapid rate. Then came dun thud as the
raftefs broke ard the roof and the upper
story struck the ground. leaving the
basement behind. The roof fiattened our.
but was supported by tie upright pieces
and the tall bedstead.
Ii is probable that none OF the family
vii forget the experience. il seemed 10
them almost If the world had come 10
an end. Airs. Chapman Was i'll. and all
were greatly frightened. The room occu-
pied by Purcell ard the Two boys Was not
80 badly wrecked the other room. MIR.
Purcell quickly pulled himself out of he
debts and emerged from the wreck VITA
the two boys, lie Immediately set about
geseulng Mr.. and Mrs. Chapman from
theiF peFilous position. They were 50
.famped up with broken furniture and
beams that they could scarcely turn about.
Ii was difficult 10 make r start IN the
work of rescue owing 10 the darkness.
While Chapman and PgrSell were work
ing 20 clear the Debris So as TO release
Mrs. Chapman. uetghbor. Mrs. Guittea3.
appeared with T. lantern on the hill above.
Purcell called ia her 10 bring help and the
light Mrs. Guitteau hurried 20 "A neigh
BORING house and aroused two men. who
went with ali haste 10 the teSciie.
a lantern was procured ia the meantime.
and Mr.. purcell. with Chapm&n's aid,
cleared away the debris sufficiently - al
,ow ioon, enough - pun Airs. Chapman
ottt Lven then thece wg5 no room 10
spare, Mrs. Chapman. who Is a rather
tteshy woman, was pulied through hole
that seemed barely large enough for "A
slender girl. She Mas az htivy. however,
and Was soon made comfortable az a
neighbours.
Mf and Airs. George W Hilt occupied
the secend house. II was two stories ani
we'll built Ia the house asleep were Mr..
and Mrs TIL. their daughter. Mrs, Focdy.
he little son. Aubrey. a0a WIN Am, Mr..
liifs son. aged Il years. The latter slept
IN tbs upper story and as the house tell
ihe bricks from tAe chimney {umolcd all
about him
On the floor beurath Mf ana Mrs. llui
slept 4 lamp was burning on 5ne dresser
near sofa As tbo house was kceiei
ever n an anr.e Of neatly - degrees me
lamp fell on tho sofa and broke The ali
iguiicd nnd only Mrs. H'lrs presence II
mind prevented an awful catastrophe
Had the blAse started the Whole family
~ SHIT have hee1 roasted tor the doors
acG windows wore pinned shut By inc
tu{aiug OF the walls MIS- tll Erath.>a
tha ocS clothes and smotheTcd the tnc;pt-
rrt blaze before Il ha1 spread. WITHIN an
hour the linz family was released nv
netrhh0rs
The largest house ~ the three WAS ~
cupet ~ Mr sof M,s Frank lowell ard
thci~ three children Ida aged Is. iulu
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