Mill Worker Critically Injured in Lake Union Accident
A young worker is fighting for his life after a machine accident at the Western Mill Company.
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.
Thos. Craney, a young man 30 years of age, engaged in running the scantling machine in the Western Mill Company's mill on Lake Union, met with a very serious accident yesterday forenoon. It seems that he had just run a timber through the machine and turned to pick up another stick to shove through, when a large sliver, which had become detached, came in contact with the rapidly revolving circular, and was hurled back with tremendous force, striking young Craney in the back, and tearing a fearful hole nearly through him. He was brought to the hospital, where Dr. Smith was called to attend him. While his wounds are very serious, they are not necessarily fatal, though the odds are greatly against the poor young man's recovery.
“A large sliver, which had become detached, came in contact with the rapidly revolving circular, and was hurled back with tremendous force.”
Early Seattle industry was notoriously dangerous. The lack of basic safety equipment for mill workers was a standard feature of the era's labor reality, leading to the gradual rise of early labor organizations and safety advocacy.
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