Fatal Slip at Orillia
A railroad brakeman was crushed to death while performing routine switching operations at the Orillia rail yard.
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.
E. J. Young, head brakeman on Northern Pacific freight train No. 64, was run over and crushed to death while switching cars at Orillia last evening. Young gave the signal to back up, then jumped off the pilot and ran to the tender, attempting to grab a tool chest. The chest was closed, and he grabbed at a smooth surface, falling back under the wheels. The 27-year-old brakeman left behind a wife and a 19-month-old son. Coroner Horton investigated the scene and determined that no formal inquest was necessary due to the clear nature of the accident.
“The right arm was crushed to pulp at the elbow, and the left hand had lost all form.”
This tragic incident highlights the extreme physical danger faced by railway workers in the late 19th century. Modern workplace safety regulations in Washington's freight sector were born from the necessity to curb such frequent, horrific accidents.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.