A Dangerous Steam Explosion at the Columbia River
A local woman narrowly avoids tragedy while camping near Timmerman's Ferry.
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.
Mrs. Jack Roberts met with a very serious and painful accident Sunday while on a fishing trip on the Columbia River near Timmerman's Ferry. She was cooking a large coffee can full of potatoes over a camp fire and had the lid tightly screwed down. When she tried to open the lid to see how the potatoes were getting on, too much steam had accumulated that the lid was forced off and flew up in her face propelled by the force of the steam pressure. Mrs. Roberts was badly burned about the face and neck and was hurriedly brought to town, where Mrs. Hopper dressed the burns in the absence of the doctor. At this writing, Mrs. Roberts is resting easily although she suffers considerable pain. The burns are not deep and it is hoped that no scars will result.
“Too much steam had accumulated that the lid was forced off and flew up in her face propelled by the force of the steam pressure.”
Outdoor recreation along the Columbia remains a cornerstone of life in the Tri-Cities, though modern camp stoves have fortunately replaced the practice of pressure-cooking potatoes in sealed coffee cans. This story serves as a sharp reminder of the hazards that accompanied the era's self-reliant spirit.
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