Fatal Accidents Claim Two Railway Workers
A local brakeman and an out-of-town conductor lose their lives in separate railroad incidents during a single weekend.
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.
Bernard Y. O'Connor, a brakeman in the employ of the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, was killed Saturday night about 6 o'clock. O'Connor was riding on top of a freight car on a work train that was coming into the yards near the city, and he fell between the cars and was run over. He was not missed until the train reached the depot, and several of the trainmen went back about three miles east of the city and found the body lying on the track. The remains were brought to the city and taken to Smith's undertaking parlors. The deceased was 22 years old and leaves a widowed mother residing on North Eighth street. The remains will be shipped to Kansas City for interment. Separately, Conductor Ray Gilbert of the Northern Pacific was killed near Pasco early Saturday morning. He fell from the train and several cars passed over his body. He was married and resided at Ellensburg.
“He fell between the cars and was run over. He was not missed until the train reached the depot.”
In the early 20th century, working on the railroad was one of the most dangerous occupations in America, with death frequently reported in local papers as a routine hazard. Today, the transition from heavy industrial rail reliance to modern logistics reflects how these early deaths paved the way for the development of modern occupational safety standards.
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