A Deadly Splinter in Kalama
A routine workplace injury leads to a tragic and sudden death for a ship carpenter.
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.
Thomas H. McKowan died at Providence Hospital yesterday of blood poisoning, aged about 50 years. McKowan was a ship carpenter and was working at Kalama, Wash. Some time ago he ran a nail in his hand and from this, blood poisoning set in, resulting in his death. He was an old resident and highly respected. He leaves a daughter, Miss Ida McKowan, who is living with George Kinnear's family. The funeral takes place at 2 o'clock tomorrow from Bonney Stewart's undertaking rooms, interment being made in Lake View cemetery.
“Some time ago he ran a nail in his hand and from this blood poisoning set in, resulting in his death.”
Before the advent of antibiotics, simple puncture wounds from construction work were lethal threats. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the physical risks faced by laborers in the Pacific Northwest's rapid industrial expansion during the late 19th century.
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