A Saw’s Deadly Snap: A Local Man’s Leg Shattered by a Flying Blade
In a grim reminder of the dangers inherent to Aberdeen’s booming timber industry, A.J. Fields suffered a compound fracture of the femur when machinery at Karr’s new mill exploded in violence last Friday.
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.
Last Friday morning a very serious accident befel A. J. Fields at Karr's new mill. In attempting to use a circular saw the saw was cramped and broke, and with terrific force the pieces flew in various directions. Either a piece of the saw or a part of the gearing struck Mr. Fields on the leg, causing a compound fracture of the upper third of the femur with fearful laceration of adjacent muscles.
This 1890 report highlights the perilous reality of early Pacific Northwest labor, where industrial safety standards were virtually non-existent. The 'terrific force' of flying metal shards and the resulting compound fracture reflect a time when mill work was among the most dangerous professions in America, a stark contrast to modern OSHA-regulated environments.
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