Tragedy on the Tracks near Tenino
A woman identified as Tillie Myers was killed instantly by a Northern Pacific train after being spotted walking on the tracks.
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.
Just after train No. 6 of the Northern Pacific passed Rainier, a woman named Tillie Myers was run over and instantly killed. No blame seems to attach to the trainmen. The woman was seen by the engineer walking on the track in the same direction as the train, and the whistle was blown for some time, but she paid no attention. The engineer reversed the engine and applied the air brakes, but it was too late. The body was taken to Tenino and the coroner of Thurston County was notified.
“The head of the unfortunate woman was badly cut, and death must have been instantaneous.”
Railroad deaths were a frequent, tragic occurrence in the rapid expansion of Washington's rail infrastructure. The record of Tillie Myers’ death provides a somber glimpse into the dangers of walking along high-speed corridors that bisected rural communities.
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