The Skater Who Lost a Leg on the Sound
A steamboat mate's broken leg at Port George leads to amputation, a Seattle hospital bed, and a purse raised by his fellow boatmen.
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 few days ago the Post published an account of a serious accident to Harry Hofke, mate of the W.F. Monroe, while making a landing at Port George, Whidbey Island. He had his leg broken and was taken to La Conner and placed in charge of Dr. Calhoun. The injury proved very serious, and Dr. Calhoun concluded that the leg should be amputated; but before fully deciding he telegraphed for Dr. Smith of this city. The two physicians held a consultation and no other course was considered safe. Accordingly the right leg was taken off just above the knee, and the unfortunate man was brought to this city and placed in the hospital. Many persons who visited Lake Union last winter during the few days that body of water was frozen over will remember Hofke as the best skater on the ice. He had many friends among the steamboat men, who raised a handsome purse for him yesterday. At last accounts he was suffering fearfully, but the doctors hoped to save his life.
“Many persons who visited Lake Union last winter, when the water was frozen over, will remember Hofke as the best skater on the ice.”
Maritime work on Puget Sound was dangerous and often uninsured; when a worker was maimed, fellow crewmen were the safety net. The story shadows today's arguments over workplace injury, medical costs and who pays when a job takes a body apart.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.