A Leap of Faith from the Moving Train
A traveling salesman’s confusion over a train’s route led to a painful injury near the Pine Street crossing.
Ed Pantz, a traveling salesman for the Washington Liquor Co., had an arm broken Monday morning while jumping from the I. & W. N. passenger train. Someone on the train told him that the train ran down to the docks in Old Town, as it did formerly, and Pantz remained on the train after it left the Newport station. While the train was near the Pine Street crossing, he learned that it did not stop for Old Town, and as it was not moving very fast, he jumped off, striking on his left arm and breaking one of the bones in the forearm. Dr. Boudwin rendered medical assistance and Pantz returned to Spokane.
“While the train was near the Pine Street crossing he learned that it did not stop for Old Town, and as it was not moving very fast he jumped off.”
This incident highlights the era's reliance on rail transit and the dangers of navigating a rapidly changing industrial landscape. Today, the Pine Street crossing remains a central point in Newport, though the bustling rail docks of Old Town have long since vanished into history.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.