A Chaotic Rescue at the Government Dock
An attempt to recover a lost purse from the harbor leads to a domino-effect spill of five men into the bay.
A purse belonging to the third officer of the Lyra and containing, besides 30 cents, some valuable papers and a war map, was the cause of a great deal of excitement on the Government dock yesterday afternoon. The purse slipped from the officer's pocket and dropped overboard. Being quick of action, the owner went down a line and rescued the wallet. The spectacle of an officer going over the ship's side on a rope drew a crowd of the dockmen to the edge of the wharf. So intent were they in watching the rescue that they failed to notice a load of hay that was being hoisted aboard. The load struck a man weighing about 300 pounds and gave him a push seaward. To save himself he grabbed a smaller man standing near him. The grabbing process was repeated until a string of five men clinging to each other supported the heavy man over the edge. During the scrimmage that followed, the small man lost his hold and, with the heavyweight, fell into the bay. It was only the work of a moment to rescue them, but to calm the little man's anger was another thing. Saturation was demanded of the large man for purposely pulling him into the bay. Both men went their various ways, covered with salt water and hayseed.
“The grabbing process was repeated until a string of five men clinging to each other supported the heavy man over the edge of the wharf.”
While accidents on the docks were common, this slapstick account illustrates the high-risk, high-traffic nature of Tacoma’s industrial waterfront in the early 20th century. It captures the proximity of dockworkers to the dangerous edge of the working harbor.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.