Sudden Death at the New England Hotel
A stranger who arrived in Seattle just ten days prior died instantly of heart disease in the dining room.
About 7 o'clock last evening a waiter at the New England Hotel, while attending to his duties in the dining-room, fell backward to the floor in an unconscious condition. Medical aid was summoned, but the man died in a few moments after falling. Dr. Willard pronounced heart disease the cause. The man's name is McHugh. He is a stranger in the town, having arrived here about ten days ago from Portland. He got work at the New England Hotel soon after his arrival, and has been steady and industrious up to the time of his terrible misfortune. His body will be turned over to the undertaker today for burial.
“He is a stranger in the town, having arrived here about ten days ago from Portland.”
This brief report highlights the transient nature of Seattle's early population—a city of strangers, many arriving for work, and some meeting their end far from home. Today, the New England Hotel site sits in the heart of Pioneer Square, a district that still serves as a gateway for transient populations.
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