A Drowning at Skookumchuck
A tragic river crossing in Bucoda claims the lives of a mother and daughter.
The funeral of Mrs. Daniel Springer and daughter, who were drowned in the Skookumchuck River at Bucoda, took place today at 2 p.m. and was attended by a large concourse of friends and neighbors. Floral tributes were profuse. Six little girls acted as pallbearers for the daughter. Further details of the sad affair state that while crossing the river, the log used as a bridge rolled, precipitating them into the water. After sinking twice, Maude grasped a snag and kept her head above water until her screams brought assistance. The mother and Myrtle sank about twenty feet from where they fell in. Some boys heard the screams, but were too excited to render assistance. The accident occurred within a stone's throw of several residences.
“Six little girls acted as pallbearers for the daughter.”
Rivers were once the primary infrastructure of the region, but makeshift log crossings were frequent sources of tragedy. Today, while we have bridges, the Skookumchuck remains a waterway prone to seasonal flooding, reminding us that nature still shapes the landscape of Thurston County.
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