A Tragic Canoe Crossing on the Chehalis
A desperate attempt to save his children during a river crossing ends in a father's drowning.
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 sad accident occurred yesterday near Oakville. At about 5 p.m., A. Baich started to cross the Chehalis River in a canoe. There were in the boat, besides himself, Mrs. Baich, his wife, and three little children, including their son Stephen, and a Mr. Rowe. The canoe overturned. The men succeeded in getting Mrs. Baich and the baby up on the boat, while Baich struck out to save the little ones. Although a fine swimmer, Mr. Baich was carried under a jam of logs and drowned, with his little boy George in his arms. Mr. Baich and family were old residents here, and much loved by their neighbors.
“Although a fine swimmer, Mr. Baich was carried under a jam of logs and drowned, with his little boy George in his arms.”
The Chehalis River remains a treacherous waterway, especially during high water, though modern bridge infrastructure has largely ended the need for small-craft ferry crossings. This tragedy underscores the daily risks faced by early settlers in the Washington Territory during their expansion into river valleys.
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