The Scow That Swallowed a Hundred Tons of Coal
A massive coal barge capsized on the Seattle waterfront this afternoon, spilling its entire cargo into the bay. Miraculously, no lives were lost—thanks to perfect timing.
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 mishap occurred on the water front this afternoon which involved the loss of a large amount of cargo.
A large scow, loaded with about 100 tons of coal, which was lying along side the south wharves, suddenly capsized, spilling the entire contents into the bay. The accident is said to have been caused by the scow having overloaded.
By the merest good fortune, the men who had been working on the scow had just gone up on the deck to get their dinner, when the craft turned turtle; or there might have been a loss of life to chronicle.
While modern maritime safety regulations strictly govern load limits and stability testing for barges, this 1903 incident highlights the ever-present danger of Seattle’s industrial waterfront. The 'merest good fortune' that saved these workers today would likely be considered a catastrophic OSHA violation, underscoring how much labor protection has evolved over the last century.
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