Fatal Forest Hazard Claims Life Near South Prairie
A falling tree at a railroad contractor's camp kills one worker and injures eight others, exposing the perilous conditions of logging near forest fires.
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.
Yesterday morning, about 6 o'clock, as the inmates of a tent belonging to Messrs. A. & B. Chapman, railroad contractors on Green river, were getting up, two tall trees that stood near the tent gave away and fell to the ground, striking the tent, killing one man and seriously injuring eight others. The name of the deceased is unknown, but by nationality he was a Norwegian, and had but one friend in this vicinity. He recently came from Portland, where he has a brother residing, and had been at work but two days when the accident occurred. The body of the deceased, with three of the injured men, was brought down on this morning's train from South Prairie. One of the men had his leg broken above the ankle and was conveyed to the Fanny Paddock hospital; his name was also unknown, but by nationality he was a Human Finn. He has been in this country but a short time and cannot speak English. It is evident that great carelessness was exercised in the construction of the camp, as several minor accidents have occurred there lately. The camp is situated in a heavy growth of timber where forest fires have been frequent, rendering the trees liable to fall at any moment. Several of the workmen have left their work on account of this great danger.
“The camp is situated in a heavy growth of timber where forest fires have been frequent, rendering the trees liable to fall at any moment.”
This 1885 report on unsafe labor conditions in the timber industry highlights the early, often brutal, cost of the Pacific Northwest's resource extraction. While modern OSHA regulations mandate safer camp placement, the inherent risks of working in unstable forest environments remain a relevant concern for forestry and utility workers today.
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