The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-25
Fatal Wreck on the Great North
ern Near Edmonds.
TRAIN STRIKES A LANDSLIDE,
Twelve Freight Cars and n Locomo-
Take Fire-Train Crew Buried I'm
burning Mass-Accident Occurs
Five Miles south of Edmonds-
wounded Brought to this City.


seriously that it is doubtful II he will re-
cover. and twelve freight cars and
heavy freight locomotive demolished and
burned, Is the result of one of the worst
wrecks that have ever occurred on the
coast division of the Great Northern. The
accident happened late Tuesday night
near Edmonds. The dead are:
J. A. Creeper, aged go engineer; home
in St. Paul.
Roy Archer (single). aged %. a fireman
who was going to Skykomish to work on
the line; parents live in Skykomsh.
The injured are:
A. #. Brindley, head brakeman. aged
%; has wife and one child at Interplay;
scalded about the head and neck and arm
injured.
Albert Michaelson, aged IS (single),
lives at Interplay; was in charge of the
supply car which was distributing oil over
the line; badly burned about the head,
neck and arms, ear cut on and skull frac-
tured; may die.
Daniel J. Altman (singie). lives at In
terbay. fireman on the engine. burned
about the head, neck and arm.
The accident occurred shortly before IL
o'clock Tuesday night five miles south OF
Edmonds on the coast line. The train,
travelling at a speed of thirty-five miles
an hour, crossed into a landslide. News
of the accident reached here from Ed
monds an hour later and a wrecking train
was at once dispatched to the scene from
the Interplay roundhouse. At 8 o'clock
yesterday morning the injured men were
brought to the Providence hospital.
The dead men were buried beneath the
huge pile of debris. and only one body.
that of Engineer Creeper. has been re-
covered as yet. The wreck was cleared
away at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
after which the main line track was
opened for traffic.
Flames Add to Horror.
A horrible feature OF the accident was
that as soon as the train struck the train
took fire. The collision piled ten Of the
cars on top OF one another in a heap The
seventh car from the engine was the
oil car In which Michaelson was riding.
When this was thrown on top of the
engine the oil was ignited and in an In
slant the whole pile was mass OF flames.
Above the roaring and cracking OF the
blaze could be plainly heard the cries of
the men underneath.
Conductor John II. Wright and Rear
Brakeman C. c. Fay. who were seated in
the caboose when the crash came. when
they recovered from the shock, rushed out
and to the head end of the train. There
they saw a sight most horrible. Altman,
who, although in the engine With Creeper.
was the least injured Of any of tie crew.
was on his feet, and. half stunned, was
assistance to his less fortunate comrades.
Wright and Fay first reached him and
on receiving assurance that he was able
to care for himself. turned attention to
the others, who were crying loudly for as
sistance.
Rescuing the Victims.
Brindiey, the head-end brakeman. who.
when the train struck. was seated In the
fireman's seat in the cab, was first found
He was lying on the sand few feet
away from the engine making frantic
efforts to get out of the reach of the
escaping steam which was issuing from
a broken valve. The three men dragged
him a safe distance.
Michealson was the next discovered.
seated in the oil car the seventh in the
train from the engine he was found
lying on the engine In an unconscious
beside Brindley. He was bleeding pro-
fusely from a long cut on the side Of
the head, but was making no cutlery.
The rescuers then turned their atten-
ton to the other missing men. From
beneath the pile Of debris could be heard
the cries OF what sounded like three men
Engineer Creeper's head could he seen
protruding from beneath. He was pinned
down by the weight of the engine Tons
OF iron held him in his awful position
while he begged piteously TO be taken
out The weight of the wreck was such
that the rescuers could not move him
and in this position he fingered fully
ten minutes until death relieved him.
Roy Archer was also buried beneath
several OF the demolished cars and al
though his cries for help could be plainly
heard no assistance could be given him
shortly after the last crv was heard
from Creeper Archer became silent and
Il Is supposed both died about the same
time.
Altman Gives I'D.
All the while the three irainmen were
fighting horoically TO deliver their com
panions from the wreck the freight cars
saturated with OIL were roaring fur
mace. aud the thought that they were I'M
able 10 help the two men in the wreck
who were slowly being roasted. caused
the rescuers TO turn sick with horror
Altman, who up TO this point had rem
ueTed Wright and Fay valuable assist
ahce. Notwithstanding hts condition. now
gave out and was carried by his two
companions 20 where Hrindley and
Michaeison were lying.
The work 81 rescue lasted but a few
minutes and as soon as ft was seen that
nothing more could be done Wright
started for Edmcnds for assistance ieav.
ing Fay IN charge. on arriving al Ed
mopds switch enigma was ordered Dut
and with this Wright went back 10 the
wreck. A message was sent to INTERPLAY
and Wrecking crew and train were
sent forward with all speed Rv he
time the train got 20 the scene the switch
engine had hauled away from the Are
twenty -cne cars that Rad not been dam