Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-08-28
@;ashin9ton Standard
OLYMPIA, WASH.
FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST Is, 1903.
Prom Joy to Sorrow.

Prom Joy to Sorrow.
The uncertainties OF lie never met
with more impressive illustration
than by the tragedy OF last Saturday,
in which a train crowded with people
intent upon pleasure and filled with
Joy. speeding over what was supposed
to be the safest Of roads, was turned,
without the least premonition Of dan
ger into a mass of struggling people,
endeavoring to rescue their less fortu-
nate associates from impending death
in the wreckage or to relieve others
from painful injuries that had left
them helpless victims.
The accident happened to the spe.
cial train carrying the Elks and their
friends from Portland, en- route for
Olympia, at about IL o'clock, Saturday
morning, at point about two miles
this side of Chehalis. The cars we're
running at high rate OF speed, along
the banks OF the Newaukum river,
when suddenly sharp explosion was
heard, some saying it was . series OF
explosions. An instant later the loco.
motive shot over the embankment.
1t was followed by the first car, q light
combination passenger and baggage
coach, which fell upon large cedar
stump near the foot of the embank-
ment, that tore out one side. The
second car followed it. The third
turned half around, the forward end at
bottom of embankment and rear end
we'll up towards track, standing at
right angle with it. The fourth and
fifth cars left the embankment and
turned partly over, but escaped the
terrible fate of those which had pre-
ceded them. The sixth car broke con.
nection with those ahead and remained
on the ties and the seventh and last
car was the only one which remained
on the rails.
1t was from the tender that two hu-
man beings were hurled to their death.
Charles Farleman, a cigar dealer OF
Portland, and Samuel Condor, q
tramp, were the victims. In the first
car we're a number OF others who were
seriously injured. One poor woman,
Mrs. C. B. Brown, wife OF a dentist in
Portland, had her left arm torn from
her body and the member was picked
up at stump nearly cars length
from where she was released from the
wreckage. 1t seems as if she had bad
her arm out the window when the
car shot past the stump and that it was
cut off by being caught between car
and stump. Her right arm likewise
was broken. Miss Cornelius was
taken from the wreck with q broken
jaw and internal injuries, and Mrs.
Comstock was found to be fearfully
bruised about the arms and neck.
Engineer Green was found fully so feet
away from his engine, almost helpless
and only partially conscious. How he
got there nobody knows. The fireman
escaped with three broken ribs. About
thirty people we're injured, some
slightly however, the worst cases be-
ing those enumerated. Among the
wounded, with three fractured ribs, is
VIM. Reidt, realty dealer OF Port
land, we'll known to some of our older
residents, he having conducted bak.
cry here about fifteen years ago, going
hence to Portland, where he has at
tanned competence.
It is thought that all the injured
will recover. The three who were
thought to be fatally wounded, includ.
ing Mrs. Brown, were taken to Port.
land from Chehalis Sunday, the others
having been removed Saturday. At
Chehalis every accommodation posi-.
bic was accorded the sufferers. and
they were attended by local surgeons
as we'll a. all the physicians from
Olympia, who went out on . special
relief Car.
On Monday . Coroner's inquest was
held and the jury report that the acct
dent was due to an explosion of the
locomotive, but failed to fix blame for
the accident. Those who testified
were L. J. Jones for % years . loco
motive fireman, Fireman Doskey OF
the wrecked engine, DR.. Coleman and
A. J. Long, an expert on machinery.
The opinion was that the engine had
been burned" that water got off the
crown sheet, the crown sheet became
very hot, and when again covered with
water caused sudden generation Of
steam and the inevitable result Was an
explosion.
The effect upon our little commun-
ity, which bad been in perfect fervor
of anticipation Of q joyous time and
busy for days in making preparations
for the great event, of utter paralyza-
ton over the astounding news. At
first it was reported that 100 people
had been killed. Although that seemed
improbable. it caused the utmost anx-
iety, especially among those who were
expecting friends and relatives. This
was soon followed, however, by . dis.
patch which gave very nearly the truth
regarding the disaster, but there still
remained enough OF uncertainty to
keep alive serious apprehension of evil.
On every hand the display of en-
blems of rejoicing became only the