A Near-Fatal Jolt at the Haystack
A routine day of farm repairs turned into a brush with death when a derrick cable made contact with a power line near Finley.
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.
J. A. Thurner had a very narrow escape Monday. He and C. S. Short were moving the hay derrick along the west side of the Short place near the power lines. Mr. Thurner went upon the derrick to make some repairs. In some way the boom swung around and the cable struck the power lines, causing the current of electricity to go down the cable, burning Mr. Thurner’s thumb and forefinger of his right hand and knocking him off the derrick. In the fall he had two ribs broken, several teeth knocked loose, and was badly shaken up and bruised. He was unconscious for half a day. He was kept at Mr. Short’s until Tuesday evening when he was moved home. He is under the care of Dr. Spaulding, of Kennewick.
“The current of electricity went down the cable, burning Mr. Thurner’s thumb and forefinger.”
Agricultural accidents involving high-voltage power lines remain a significant hazard for modern farm workers. This story highlights the perennial tension between the rapid expansion of rural electrical infrastructure in the early 20th century and the physical safety of those working the land.
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