Fatal Surge on Pacific Avenue
High-voltage electricity crosses wires at a construction site, claiming the lives of two local workers and endangering several others.
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.
Arthur W. Charlson, aged 24, a blacksmith employed by the West Coast Wagon company, and John R. Ohrstrom, aged 45, head shipping clerk for the Younglove Grocery company, were killed by an 1,100-volt current of electricity. The tragedy, which occurred near the Harmon building construction site, was caused by a city feed wire crossing with a high-power wire. Lumber falling from the sixth story of the building on Saturday had weakened the insulation, leading to the deadly contact. Several other individuals in nearby buildings, including those at the Armour company, received shocks as the current surged through the wiring. City Electrician Lauson noted that the wires were later repaired, and Coroner Shaver is expected to hold an inquest into the event.
“The bulb had been wrenched from its fastenings, as though the man had gripped it before becoming unconscious.”
The rapid and sometimes dangerous electrification of downtown Tacoma in 1909 reminds us that the city's growth has always relied on the often invisible risks taken by its labor force. Today, as high-rises continue to reshape Pacific Avenue, we are reminded of the early, volatile era of public utilities that helped build the modern downtown.
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