The Miracle of the Push Car
An 11-year-old boy survives a harrowing run-in with a runaway push car on an electric rail line south of Seattle.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Howard Dexter Horton, the 11-year-old son of Julius Horton, had a miraculous escape Sunday night from what seemed certain death by being run over by a push car on Fred Sander’s electric road, south of Seattle. Several boys were playing with the car, Howard Horton being one of the number. They would push the car until it was moving quite rapidly, then jump on and ride until the car ceased moving. During one of these rides, young Horton, who was on the front end, lost his balance and fell headlong upon the track. It was impossible to stop the car, or for Horton to clear himself before one of the front wheels struck his ankle and ground its way along through flesh and over bones along the leg to a little above the knee. His limb was so badly bruised that he was powerless to move, and the second wheel followed the course of the first, cutting the flesh deeper and injuring the bones still more. The cries of the boy and his companions brought neighbors to the spot. The injured lad was taken home and word sent to his brother, Dr. George Horton, who went immediately and on making an examination found that the bones passed over by the wheels had not been broken. Dr. Horton is of the opinion that his brother will entirely recover the use of his leg and not be crippled in the least.
“Howard Dexter Horton... had a miraculous escape Sunday night from what seemed certain death.”
This story highlights the dangers of unregulated play in a rapidly urbanizing Seattle, where infrastructure often outpaced public safety. Today, the same tension exists as the city navigates the safety of children and pedestrians amidst aggressive micromobility and electric transit expansion.
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