Monday, March 1, 2010

Railroad Accident Shocks Community

From the "Empire Press."

September 27, 1923

Ten-Year-Old Boy Loses Life

Box Car Wheels Pass Over Body, Causing Death.

One of the saddest accidents that it has been our duty to chronicle in many a day, happened in this city last Saturday. Arthur Osborne, ten-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Osborne, in company with a son of Cash Bartholomew, was playing over near the Standard Oil plant. The Waterville train with A.N. Moreland engineer, and J.M.G. Wilson acting as brakeman, were backing the train onto the Standard Oil track to spot an oil car. There was a box car, an oil tank car and the engine in the train. Mr. Wilson was on top of the box car and the boys had climbed on this car and appeared on top. He told them to sit down and wait until the train stopped and then get off. He went down on the side of the car next to the oil plant to signal Mr. Moreland where to stop. The boys then went to the end of the car, which was moving slowly, and climbed down. Arthur went down the ladder on the end of the car. It is quite a distance from the last round of the ladder to the ground and when he made this step he fell across the rail. The wheels of the car passed over his right leg close to the hip joint and his left hand.
W.P. Hendricks, who is employed by the Standard Oil Company, was standing back at the end of the track when he saw the boy fall. He rushed down to the train shouting for them to stop, and ran around into the office to phone for a doctor. Fred Bullard had just driven up in his car to get some oil and J.M.G. Wilson put Arthur in this car and they rushed him to the hospital.
Dr. Ellis and Dr. Adams were both there in a few minutes and worked hard to save the boy’s life. His leg was taken off close to the hip and three fingers on his left hand were also taken off. It seems when the train went over him he was dragged for twenty-five or thirty feet, and his left leg was also broken. The little fellow seemed to rally for a time after coming out from the anesthetic and then grew worse, passing on shortly after seven o’clock that evening.
This is the first accident that has happened on the Waterville Railway, where there was a loss of life. The sudden shock to the community and the sadness of the accident caused a great outpouring of sympathy to the bereaved father and mother.
Arthur William Osborne was born at Seattle, Washington, July 25, 1913, and died September 22, 1923, at the age of 10 years, one month and 28 days. He was three years old when his parents moved to Waterville. He leaves besides his parents, one brother eight years old and a sister three years old.
The funeral was held from the Presbyterian church Monday afternoon at two o’clock, conducted by Rev. C.J. Boppell, and was attended by a large concourse of sorrowing friends. The floral offerings were many and very beautiful. Mr. and Mrs. William Read, father and mother of Mrs. Osborne, and her brothers, Tom, John and Roy Read, all of Wenatchee, and her sister, Mrs. McCardell, of Spokane, were here for the funeral. Internment was made in the mausoleum.
There has been every effort possible put forth by friends and neighbors to extend sympathy, and to do all that human hands can do to aid the bereaved parents and to relieve, as far as possible, the sorrow, by kindness.

2 comments:

MB Line said...

I didn't realize you had this article. I've heard about this accident, but never knew much about it. My grandma used to tell me about this little boy and the terrible accident he had. His sister Alice Marney just died. She was 87. Alice's son Dean Marney is a auther that has written several childern's books including "The Computer that ate my brother". Maybe you have heard of it.

SDP45 said...

Never heard of it. I'll look it up.

Dan