Scalded at the Black Diamond Mine
A foreman investigating a steam plume slipped into near-boiling water, a reminder of how quickly industrial work could turn.
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.
BLACK DIAMOND, July 21.—[Special.]—John M. Phillips, inside foreman at the Black Diamond mines, was badly burned on the lower limbs tonight while coming from work. He thought an unusual amount of steam was issuing from the pump as he passed and went down to investigate, but made a misstep and went feet first into the water, which was unusually hot at the time, the cold water having been pumped out a few minutes before.
“He thought an unusual amount of steam was issuing from the pump ... and made a misstep and went feet first into the water.”
Black Diamond's accident belongs to the long, dangerous history of King County coal mining, where hot water, gas and falling rock were routine hazards. Modern workplace-safety rules grew out of exactly these kinds of preventable injuries.
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