Tragic Logging Accident at Lake Union
A woodchopper is killed instantly by a falling limb while working near the Lake Union portage.
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.
John Fiemming, a 60-year-old woodchopper, was killed instantly yesterday afternoon on the shore of Lake Union near the portage. Fiemming was working with O. C. Smith to fell a large fir tree. As the tree began to topple, Fiemming turned to look for others who might be in danger, failing to notice a dead limb in the canopy above. As the tree struck the ground, the 12-foot limb was dislodged and plummeted 150 feet, striking Fiemming in the head. Coroner Horton investigated the scene and determined an inquest was unnecessary for the unmarried Pennsylvania native.
“While he stood looking out for the safety of others he gave no thought of the dead limb in the tree above.”
This tragedy underscores the extreme danger of the logging industry that built early Seattle. The 'portage' mentioned—the narrow strip of land between Lake Union and Lake Washington—is a reminder of the industrial landscape that existed long before the construction of the Montlake Cut and the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
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