The Trench That Became a Grave
Two workmen narrowly survive a catastrophic sewer trench collapse on Eighth and Marion, saved only by the quick, heroic actions of their fellow laborers.
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.
Charles Givens and S. Arnold, two laborers, narrowly escaped death yesterday just before noon by being buried under a mass of dirt which caved in from the sides of a deep sewer trench near the corner of Eighth and Marion streets. The trench was twelve feet deep and the men were shoveling out dirt from the bottom of it, when without warning the wall caved in. Givens was completely covered up by the earth and nothing but the prompt action of other workmen saved his life. John Whitney, after the caving started, leaped into the ditch and kept some of the heavier masses of earth from rolling on Givens' head by standing over him. Arnold was also in a perilous position, although his head was still left uncovered. The other workmen lost no time in digging out their buried companions, although it took nearly half an hour to complete the task. Neither Arnold nor Givens was badly hurt, although somewhat bruised. Arnold resumed work in a short time, but Givens, who had one of his legs injured by the falling dirt, laid off. The accident was probably due to the fact that all of the dirt from the trench was thrown out on one side and several men were standing on that side engaged in shoveling it back.
“Givens was completely covered up by the earth and nothing but the prompt action of other workmen saved his life.”
While Seattle’s infrastructure has evolved significantly since 1892, trench and excavation safety remains a persistent labor struggle in the region's high-pressure construction industry. The quick-thinking 'comrades' who saved their co-workers underscore the vital importance of collective vigilance in dangerous work environments.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.