Tragedy at the Old Robbins Mill
A thirteen-year-old boy is crushed to death while fishing along the Duwamish River.
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.
John McDonald, aged 13 years, the only son of Deputy Sheriff Jack McDonald, was crushed to death by a wheel in a sawmill on the Duwamish River yesterday afternoon. Young McDonald and a playmate named Galloway went fishing at the old Robbins place about three miles up the Duwamish river from South Park. Near there is a deserted mill, one of the appendages of which is an overshot water-wheel. While fishing at its base McDonald caught a fish, but in doing so got the tackle caught. He climbed down to the water on the paddles of the wheel, secured the fish and started back. As he did so the wheel turned, carrying him down and crushing his head against some heavy timbers. His companion got help as soon as possible and extricated the body from the jam. There was still life in it, but a long line along the left side of the head showed that the skull was fractured. Word was immediately sent to his father, who was on duty at the county jail, but before they could reach South Park, the young life had been cut off.
“He climbed down to the water on the paddles of the wheel, secured the fish and started back. As he did so the wheel turned, carrying him down.”
The Duwamish River was once the industrial heart of the region, dotted with mills that have long since vanished or been reclaimed by nature. Today, the area near South Park is a focal point for environmental restoration and community advocacy, far removed from the era of abandoned, dangerous industrial relics.
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