Fatal Lumber Mill Accident Claims Life of Tacoma Worker
A workplace tragedy at the St. Paul mill leaves one man dead and another facing life-altering injuries.
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 injuries received by Orlyn M. Snyder at the St. Paul mill yesterday proved fatal, death resulting last evening. J. L. Ekvall, the other man who was buried beneath the pile of lumber, was obliged to have his left leg amputated. As soon as they reached the hospital the injured men were attended by Drs. J. R. Brown, Sargent, and McCutcheon. Snyder proved to have been injured internally, however, and the efforts of the physicians in his behalf were fruitless. Ekvall's injuries may not prove fatal, but his condition is regarded as serious. Besides having his leg crushed, he has some bad injuries about the head. He lives at 1206 South Twenty-sixth street. The body of Mr. Snyder was removed to Uoska's undertaking parlors last evening. Funeral services will be held at the chapel Sunday afternoon. Deceased was 32 years of age and had lived in Tacoma three years. During that time he had been in the employ of the Pacific Manufacturing Company. He leaves a wife and two children, living at 4304 East F Street.
“A pile of blood-covered lumber in the St. Paul mill yard stands as mute evidence of the tragedy which caused the death of one man and crippled another for life.”
Workplace safety remains a persistent challenge in Pacific Northwest industries. This 1904 tragedy underscores the human cost of industrial growth, a reality that continued to shape labor regulations and union demands in the century that followed.
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