A Costly Slip at the City Dock
Thousands of dollars in railroad spikes plunged into the bay after a dock stringer gave way under the massive weight of materials.
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.
It was found that the railroad company did not have enough flat cars to distribute the railroad material from the ship Starbuck as fast as it was discharged. Consequently, a large lot of spikes were piled up on the south side of the City Dock, outside of the warehouse. Yesterday about noon, an immense cedar stringer gave way under the great weight, and about $2,500 worth of spikes in kegs were precipitated into twenty-five feet of water. Fortunately, the wrecker Whitelaw is in port with a diver on board, who has been employed to assist in the recovery of the submerged property, so the loss will be slight. Work on discharging the Starbuck has been temporarily suspended to relieve the wharf of the immense weight.
“An immense cedar stringer gave way under the great weight, and about $2,500 worth of spikes in kegs were precipitated into twenty-five feet of water.”
This incident highlights the precariousness of Seattle's early maritime and railroad infrastructure. The City Dock, once the beating heart of local commerce, is long gone, replaced by modern waterfront developments.
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