The Tragic End of the Steamer Fanny Lake
A boiler explosion leaves the familiar local craft a ruined hulk on the waterfront.
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.
The melancholy scene presented by the burned hull of the steamer Fanny Lake was viewed yesterday by hundreds of townsfolk. The tiny works are gone, and the timbers are charitably scorched, and although the passengers were miraculously uninjured, the steamer itself is a total wreck. The explosion was heard from the shore. Soon after, the mill sounded the alarm. The watchman was at his post, but after the steam began escaping, he went for help, and had to be hauled in the bay, so that all hands could be saved. However, quite miraculously, everyone managed to get to shore. It has not yet been decided whether the steamer will be rebuilt or not. Captain Hill has the matter under advisement. Nothing of any consequence was saved, and the loss is heavy. The accident is a deplorable one, and is the culmination of a number of casualties that steamer has experienced of late. Persons wishing to see what is left of the familiar old craft can do so by going down to Yesler's wharf, where the hulk is moored.
“The tiny works are gone, and the timbers are charitably scorched, and although the passengers were miraculously uninjured, the steamer itself is a total wreck.”
Steamboat travel was the lifeblood of 1880s Puget Sound, but industrial accidents like boiler explosions were a frequent hazard. Today, the site of Yesler’s Wharf, once a center of maritime industry, is buried under the modern Pioneer Square/Waterfront development.
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