The Mill That Almost Killed Everyone: A Miracle at the Cowlitz Sawmill
A massive pulley shattered and flew over a crowded mill floor in Grays Harbor. Miraculously, no one was killed—only one man injured—sparking relief in a region where industrial accidents were routine.
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.
GRAYS HARBOR.
The main belt pulley in the saw mill broke yesterday. The largest piece, weighing upward of many tons, flew over out of the roof of the mill. Quite a number of workmen were around, fortunately and almost miraculously, was hurt.
The mill will start up again in a few days.
In an era before OSHA or modern safety regulations, industrial accidents like this were terrifyingly common yet often reported with breathless relief rather than outrage. This incident highlights the extreme physical dangers faced by laborers in Washington's timber industry, where heavy machinery operated without guards or safety protocols, turning every workday into a gamble with mortality.
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