The Tragedy of a Carbonado Miner
After relocating his family to Carbonado for work, Charles J. Hanson perishes in a coal mine accident, leaving his wife and three children in a destitute state.
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 telegram was received here yesterday from Carbonado concerning the accidental death of a miner named Charles J. Hanson, whose family resides in Seattle. James H. Wallace, Mining Inspector for the Territory, left immediately on receipt of the news for Carbonado to ascertain the cause of death. The deceased leaves a wife and three small children in this city in a destitute condition. Mr. Hanson, a few days ago, just previous to leaving for Carbonado, paid the rent of the house in which his family honorably live on West street, for six months in advance. For the past year and a half, he had worked for Mr. L. M. at the coal bunkers, and as Hanson was not needy, he left for Carbonado hoping to get steady work to better his condition. Mr. Harrison describes him as a sober, industrious and honest man. No details have been learned regarding the disaster.
“The deceased leaves a wife and three small children in this city in a destitute condition.”
Mining fatalities were a frequent, grim reality of Washington's industrial expansion in the late 19th century. Today, this story serves as a reminder of the human cost behind the rapid urban growth and real estate booms—like those reported elsewhere on this same page—that built the foundation of modern Seattle.
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