A Tragic Accident on the West Street Line
A six-year-old boy loses his leg while attempting to jump onto a moving streetcar near Virginia Street.
The story, cleaned up
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Norman Paine, the 6-year-old son of S. H. Paine, had his left leg cut off by car No. 12 on the West Street and North End electric road while running to jump on it near Virginia Street. As the car came down West street at a good speed, the boy ran along beside it in order to get to the front and jump on, but he slipped and fell. His left foot was caught between the wheels of the rear truck and he was dragged along for a short distance. Ed Douglas, a young man who was near, found the boy and assisted in binding the wound before he was taken to his home, where doctors amputated the leg four inches below the knee.
“His left foot was caught between the wheels of the rear truck and he was dragged along for a short distance.”
In an era before robust public safety standards, streetcar accidents were a frequent and gruesome occurrence in growing cities like Seattle. The incident highlights the hazards of rapid urban transit expansion before the implementation of modern boarding platforms and pedestrian protections.
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