A Foundry Mishap on the Seattle Waterfront
While working at the Washington Iron Works, a local resident sustains a bone-shattering injury in a heavy machinery accident.
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.
Tuesday afternoon, while Mr. Vattoa was working at the foundry near Third street, at the residence of O. C. Shorey, he was struck by the bore of the tackle, breaking the bone of the left leg about two inches above the ankle. Dr. H. Van Patten was called and reset the fracture, and Mr. Vattoa will soon be able to walk again.
“Dr. H. Van Patten was called and reset the fracture, and Mr. Vattoa will soon be able to walk again.”
This incident at a 19th-century foundry highlights the inherent dangers faced by Seattle’s early industrial workforce. While modern safety regulations and unions have drastically reduced such workplace perils, the story serves as a reminder of the physical cost paid by laborers to build the foundation of the city’s early infrastructure.
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