A Dangerous Collision on Mill Street
A frightened team of horses caused chaos in downtown Seattle after a pedestrian struck one of the animals.
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.
Yesterday afternoon as Mr. James McNaught's team, attached to a double-seated carriage, was being driven along Mill street, an accident occurred which might have been quite serious. Immediately in front of the Yesler-Leary building, a man, apparently under the influence of liquor, attempted to cross the street in front of the horses, but being too close, was slightly touched by one of them. Overcome by stupid rage he struck the animal in the face with his arm. The horse, a young and rather spirited one, reared back, and in so doing broke some of the running gear. Frightened at this both horses began to plunge. A gentleman standing near sprang to the assistance of the driver and managed to turn the horses into the wall at the side of the roadway. Here they were quieted down after having broken the carriage considerably. It is needless to say that the individual who caused all the trouble slipped quietly away during the excitement.
“Overcome by stupid rage he struck the animal in the face with his arm.”
This incident occurred on Mill Street (now Yesler Way), the primary thoroughfare leading to the waterfront. It highlights the inherent danger of mixing horse-drawn carriages with pedestrians in the bustling, unregulated street life of 1880s Seattle, a precursor to our modern concerns about pedestrian safety on busy urban streets.
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