Tragic Industrial Accident at Freeport Mill
A worker suffers severe injuries in a mill accident, sparking a desperate plea for his recovery.
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.
On Monday afternoon, while Mr. Firstbrook, an employee of the Freeport Mill Company, was 'bolting up' for the lath machine, a bolt from the circular saw struck him a fearful blow in the abdomen. He was immediately taken from the mill, and though severely hurt, he suffered but little pain until 2 o'clock in the morning, when his suffering became intense. He was taken in a boat and brought to the city, arriving here a little after noon yesterday, and taken to the residence of Rev. Mr. Atwood. Dr. Minor was immediately called and found him in a very critical condition. At our time of going to press his suffering was greatly relieved but the Dr. entertains but little hope of his recovery. Mr. Firstbrook came to Seattle about two months since from the East and went to work in the Freeport Mill about three weeks ago.
“Dr. Minor was immediately called and found him in a very critical condition... he considers his case exceedingly doubtful.”
Early Seattle industry was notoriously dangerous, with limited medical infrastructure to handle catastrophic injuries. Today's industrial safety regulations and trauma centers contrast sharply with the reliance on house calls and boats to transport the injured.
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