A Fatal Leap from a Moving Train
A young boy, riding the 'blind baggage' car to sneak a ride home, died after jumping from a moving Northern Pacific train near the Grant street bridge.
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.
Coroner Horton investigated the death of Andrew Brennan, who was killed by a Northern Pacific train at the Grant street bridge crossing on Thursday. The coroner determined the accident was due to the boy’s carelessness. Brennan and a companion had boarded the 'blind baggage' car without the crew's knowledge at Black River Junction. As the train approached the bridge near his home, Brennan attempted to jump off while the train was still moving. He hit a post, was thrown back, and sustained fatal head injuries. Train crew members stated they were unaware of the accident until they reached the depot.
“Brennan, taking advantage of the slow rate of speed at which the train was going, jumped.”
This tragedy reflects the 19th-century reality of 'riding the rails,' a desperate and common practice that often ended in loss of life. It serves as a reminder of the dangerous transition Seattle made as it became a railyard city, frequently bisected by lethal infrastructure.
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