Sudden Death at South Tacoma Station
A night operator dies while on duty as the North Coast Limited arrives.
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.
H.J. Wakeman, a night operator for the Northern Pacific at South Tacoma, dropped dead on the depot platform last night at 8:10 o'clock as the North Coast Limited pulled into the station. Despite medical assistance being summoned, he could not be revived. Deputy Coroner Mellinger investigated and noted that Wakeman had suffered from diabetes. Charles Nystrom, who was speaking to him just before the train arrived, reported that Wakeman simply bent over and fell. His body is expected to be returned to his former home in Minneapolis for burial.
“Charles Nystrom was talking with Mr. Wakeman just before the train pulled in, and all at once the man bent over and a moment later fell forward on his face.”
The South Tacoma train station was once a bustling heart of local commerce. While the station building has long since changed function or been lost, the story of an everyday worker dying while waiting for the 'Limited' train captures the fleeting nature of life in a railroad town.
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