Tragedy at the Wilkeson Mines
A local laborer dies in a sudden industrial accident at the coal chutes.
While working near the coal chute of the Wilkeson mines yesterday, Anton Spanovich, a laborer, lost his footing and was carried into the pile of coal, where he was completely buried before the stream of coal could be stopped. He was quickly dug out, but was beyond recovery and died in a few minutes. Spanovich was formerly an Old Town fisherman, and leaves a widow and family.
“He was quickly dug out, but was beyond recovery and died in a few minutes.”
Wilkeson remains a historic site where the physical scars of coal mining are still visible. Industrial safety standards have shifted the burden of 'accidents' from the laborer to the operator, but the inherent dangers of extractive work continue to define the history of East Pierce County.
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