The Ghost of Dynamite on the Northwestern Road
A train passenger train narrowly escapes derailment when a forgotten cache of giant powder detonates eight miles outside of Seattle.
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.
A traveler writing from Seattle on April 21, 1885, reports a narrow escape from a serious disaster. After the train had passed what is known as the 'fourth crossing,' about eight miles from the city, the passengers were startled by an explosion on the side of the road, which was so severe it broke nearly every window on the south side of the car. The conductor stopped the train and found a stump about six feet from the road, behind which was a depression the size of a hat, showing signs of an explosion. A passenger who saw the event from the train suggested it was a cache of 'giant powder' (dynamite) left behind by construction crews when the road was built. Exposed to the weather, heat, and thaw, the explosive had become unstable and volatile. Had the stump not acted as a shield, the force of the blast might have been sufficient to throw the passenger coach off the track, resulting in a horrific tragedy.
“Had it not been for a passenger who saw the explosion at the time, its location might not have been so easily found, for the earth was very slightly disturbed.”
Rail safety and the management of hazardous materials were significant concerns for a rapidly industrializing Washington in the 1880s. Today, this incident resonates with contemporary concerns regarding the maintenance of critical infrastructure and the long-term impact of industrial activities on public safety near modern transit corridors like Sound Transit's expanding rail lines.
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