The Steam Came Through the Firebox
Fred Hutchinson was feeding wood into the Monticello's boiler when a loose pipe cap gave way. Scalded across his face, neck, chest and hands, he was rushed to Port Townsend while the steamer was towed in.
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.
A cap was knocked off one of the pipes in the boiler of the steamer Monticello yesterday as the boat was coming in past Rocky point, three miles on this side of Point Wilson, and Fred Hutchinson, the fireman, was badly scalded.
Hutchinson was crowding a stick of wood into the firebox and, striking the cap on one of the pipes which was screwed on but a short distance, knocked it off. The steam burst out through the firebox, striking Hutchinson and scalding him terribly. The lower part of his face and his neck and breast were most injured, and his hands, which were thrown up to protect his eyes, were so badly scalded that the flesh dropped off them.
He was taken ashore at once and placed on an electric car which just happened along at the time and sent to Port Townsend to be placed in the hospital. Tug Tyee went out and towed the boat into Port Townsend. As soon as the boiler cooled off the cap was readjusted and the boat started on her way again inside of two hours from the time the accident occurred. On reaching here she was laid up for one trip to have the boiler examined and the caps on the pipes made tight.
There was no explosion and beyond the knocking off of the cap no damage was done to the boat.
“The steam burst out through the firebox, striking Hutchinson and scalding him terribly.”
Steam power made the Puget Sound mosquito fleet possible, but a fireman's job was one of the most dangerous aboard. The Monticello accident is a reminder that the region's maritime economy ran on coal, steam, and workers standing inches from live pressure.
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