Tragic Logging Accident Claims Young Life
A 26-year-old worker perishes near Hill’s sawmill after a falling tree causes a fatal strike.
William Seaver, formerly of Minnesota, was fatally injured on Sunday while working in the timber near Hill’s sawmill at the head of the Ahtanum. He was chopping down a tree when it struck another, causing the trunk to break in two. A piece of the tree fell on Seaver, crushing his skull. He lingered until Monday night before passing away. His body was transported to the city and buried from the undertaker’s on Wednesday. The deceased was 26 years of age.
“A piece of the tree fell on Seaver, crushing his skull.”
Workplace safety remains a persistent challenge in Washington’s timber industry, echoing the hazards faced by workers over a century ago. While modern occupational safety laws have drastically reduced fatalities, the inherent dangers of manual forestry persist in the region.
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