Mudslide Kills Man -- Tavern In Port Angeles Hit; One Person Still Hospitalized

PORT ANGELES - At the end of the working day, Brickie's Tavern could count on its regulars to drop in from the surrounding industrial area to unwind, drink their favorite beer and sit in reserved seats - a scene not much different from episodes of the lighthearted sitcom "Cheers," one regular said.

But yesterday, happy hour turned into a nightmare for about 30 people when a mudslide burst through the tavern at about 4:30 p.m., killing one man and sending five people to the hospital with cuts, bruises and horrible memories.

One of those injured was the cook, who suffered burns when the mud poured into the kitchen, upsetting deep fryers and dousing him in hot oil, said Tom Riepe, deputy chief of Port Angeles police.

The others were injured as the soft mud plowed through the crowded room and wrapped around nearly half of the bar, Riepe said.

Three of the victims were treated at Olympic Memorial Hospital and released, but one, a 36-year-old man, remained hospitalized in satisfactory condition this morning.

Port Angeles has not had heavy rainfall lately. Only about a half-inch has been recorded this month, according to the National Weather Service. Average rainfall for the entire month is 1.24 inches.

Rain hits Seattle

The opposite is true for the Seattle area. The Weather Service reports that 2.39 inches of rain have been recorded this month at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport through yesterday.

Normal rainfall for September through yesterday is 0.97, and the average for the entire month is 1.88, the Weather Service said.

There is some sunshine in the forecast for the Seattle area. Tomorrow is predicted to bring sun after morning fog, and Saturday also is expected to be sunny after morning clouds, a pattern that should continue into the early part of next week.

At Brickie's yesterday, James Seward was tending bar when the mudslide ripped through the building. Seward said he and another bartender leaped over the bar, staying ahead of the wave of mud.

"I heard a big noise to my right, and I saw the back wall coming in," said Seward. "I can't even tell you how much earth came through there."

The man who was killed, Dean Palmer, had been seated at the bar facing the slide. Seward said Palmer was caught in the wave of earth, forced backward by the bar as it dislodged, and pinned between the bar and a support column, where he died. Seward said he saw every second of it.

"I tried to get around back of him, and I just saw his hand drop. He looked at me and said, `It's all over,' " Seward said. "You couldn't have moved fast enough to pull him out of there."

Seward said he pulled frantically at the bar, trying to save Palmer, but he was wedged tightly by the massive amount of mud that now filled nearly three-quarters of the tavern.

When rescue workers arrived shortly thereafter, they told Seward to leave. He refused, saying, ". . . that's my friend down there."

Palmer, 49, was homeless but much-loved, a friend to many in this city of about 17,000. Last night, several people gathered at pubs around town to mourn his death.

"He was just loved by everybody," said Chaz Bennett, who had gone to one of Palmer's regular spots, the Gateway Tavern, to commiserate with friends.

"I cried my eyes out when I found it was him," said Bill Sullivan, who said he had known Palmer for more than 20 years. "Wherever he went, he was a friend. I just can't believe he's dead."

People in town remember Palmer as a clean-shaven, honest worker who would often sleep in the back seat of a car a friend had left downtown just for him. He worked in the various bars, helping to clean them, and though he never asked for a thing, people were always willing to give him food or an odd job.

Memorial on Saturday

Friends will hold a memorial for Palmer at the Gateway Tavern on Saturday.

Tavern patron Steve Ogier escaped injury because he was leaning against the north wall of the tavern when the south wall "came out. When it (the mud) came, it looked like it was six feet deep. The mud came right up to my table.

"We jumped over the counter, and we moved some debris from the bar off some people," Ogier said.

He believes five or six people sitting at the bar across the back wall, and the bartender and cook were instantly trapped by the mud. "It even covered the pool tables. Everybody was screaming and bloody.

"It was unreal."

Brickie's, located on the west edge of town, was nearly full when the slide hit, Seward said, because of their popular "Wimpy's Wednesday" promotion, which offers two cheeseburgers and fries for $1.50. Peter McConnelly, who lives in Port Angeles, said the slide couldn't have happened at a worse time.

"It's a real popular night there," he said.

Some people said water run-off from the ridge behind the tavern had been a problem for years. One man who asked not to be named said employees of Brickie's were constantly mopping up water that would flow in from the hillside.

"It's like you took a garden hose and just turned it on in there, and nobody's done a thing about it," he said. "That hillside has been unstable for years."

The bar, which backed directly onto the slope, has changed owners several times the past few years. Locals said the business was recently purchased by new owners, a couple from Port Angeles.

According to Deputy Police Chief Riepe, the current owners of Brickie's also were concerned about the water, which regularly traveled downhill and onto the building.

The building's owner, who was in the process of selling it, had begun work recently on a retaining wall to protect against slides, Seward said.

But for many, it was a case of too little, too late. Minor slides in the area are common, said McConnelly.

"They have roads over here that slid every year in the nine years I've been here," he said.

Hill has been sliding

Slides are also common in the area surrounding Brickie's, many residents said. Last spring, a smaller mudslide spilled down the hillside next to the parking lot at Lamonts, a downtown department store a mile down the street from Brickie's. No one was injured in the slide, but residents said they were warned:

"This whole hill's been sliding out this last year," said Kyle Ness, a nearby resident.

Riepe said the city public-works department explained that the tall trees on the slope make mudslides likely in the area. When the ground is wet, winds that blow the trees loosen the wet dirt, he said.

"It's not surprising. This is happening all over Puget Sound," Riepe said.

Nearly 100 workers from local fire, utility and other departments showed up to help clean up the debris. By 7 p.m., 10 truckloads full of mud had been removed from the area, but Riepe said they weren't even half done.

Brickie's suffered a total loss and will have to be demolished, Riepe said. He said crews will continue to clean up the site today and determine what needs to be done to prevent future slides.

Those involved in the slide were to be allowed back into the building to search for personal belongings this morning, Seward said, but his few possessions are meaningless now, following the death of his friend.

"I don't ever want to go through anything like that again," he said. "I don't want anyone to have to ever go through something like that."

Seattle Times staff reporters Dee Norton and Dave Birkland contributed to this report.

Murray Whyte's phone message number is 206-515-5686. His e-mail address is: mwhy-new@seatimes.com

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. The rainy season . Rainfall in inches for the 24 hours ending at 5:30 a.m. today:

. Area Rainfall .

. Bremerton .65 . Forks 1.37 . Gold Bar # 1.10 . Hoquiam 1.17 . Renton # # 2.00 . Sea-Tac Airport .74 . Seattle (Sandpoint) .59 .

# - amount recorded from 7 a.m.-7:45 p.m. yesterday; # # - amount recorded from 5 p.m. yesterday to 6:30 a.m. today .