Lumber Worker Killed in Logging Accident
A logger is crushed by a falling tree near Tacoma and dies before reaching the hospital.
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.
About 10 o'clock this morning, while engaged as a swamper in a lumber camp on the Tacoma Eastern railroad, J. B. Johnson was struck by a falling tree, which crushed his body in a fearful manner. As quickly as possible he was taken to the station and immediately brought to this city. An ambulance was in waiting at the Tacoma Eastern depot to convey the injured man to the Fannie Paddock hospital, but before that institution could be reached the man was dead. The body was left at the hospital to await the decision of the coroner. Johnson was supposed to be a single man and was a member of the Odd Fellows. As he had no papers on his person, it will be necessary to search his bunk at the camp before his relatives can be located. On the same train with Johnson came Hans Christiansen, a hook tender, whose foot was badly crushed by a log about 9 o'clock this morning. His injury is not serious, but will prevent his working for several days.
“The tree which caused Johnson's death fell across his body and from his left shoulder to the right hip the flesh and bones were crushed almost to a pulp.”
Workplace safety in Washington's lumber industry was historically perilous, a reality that necessitated the eventual creation of L&I and robust workers' compensation. Today, while technology has advanced, the hazards of the woods remain a persistent concern for regional labor unions and safety advocates.
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