A Train Derails in the Smoky Woods

On Tuesday forenoon, the Satsop Railroad locomotive, Agnes, with nine loaded cars, was ditched by two trees lying across the main line near Weymouth's switch. A fire had been running in that vicinity for several days, and after the train passed that point to get loaded cars from McReavy’s camp, a large tree burned down. As it fell, it struck another, which fell across the track, carrying a third with it. In rounding the curve, the obstacle was not seen until too late to avert the catastrophe. Engineer Shorter whistled down brakes, opened the sand, reversed his engine, opened the throttle wide, and jumped just as the engine left the track. Meanwhile, the brakesmen, fireman Bateman, and George Weymouth jumped, escaping with scratches and a shaking. Engineer Shorter was caught by one of the logs that left the first car, and his left limb was badly bruised, but no bones were broken. An Eastern friend of Shorter’s who had arrived the night before was the last to leave the engine, jumping just as she plunged into the ditch, escaping luckily. The locomotive burrowed its way several feet into the ditch and was considerably damaged, as was the tender. The first three logging cars were demolished and the logs scattered, as well as several sections of track torn up. The Satsop is generally lucky in accidents of this nature, as it seems incredible that no lives were lost.