A Newlywed Killed by a Cottonwood on the White River
John Scott had been married only four weeks when an undermined tree fell across the log jam where he was working near Auburn.
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.
AUBURN, Aug. 29.—A sad accident occurred this afternoon about seven miles above here on White River, by which a young man named John Scott lost his life. It seems that he and two brothers named Russell were breaking a jam. While thus engaged a large cottonwood tree, which had been undermined by the water, fell across the jam where they were working. Russell saw the tree coming and shouted to Scott, but they ran in opposite directions and the latter was caught by the tree and instantly killed, the body falling into the river. When the body was recovered about five hours later it was found that the neck, back and both legs were broken. Deceased was a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and had been married only about four weeks.
“Deceased was a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and had been married only about four weeks.”
Breaking log jams on Puget Sound rivers was dangerous, dirty work, and accidents like this were a routine cost of the region's timber economy. The story is a reminder that the Northwest's early prosperity was built by men doing lethal labor in cold, fast water. Modern workplace-safety fights still ask how much risk a resource economy should impose on the people who do the work.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.