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From: "Culbertson, Tina" <>
Subject: Washington WILLIAMS & Roach Ship Yard
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 14:47:17 -0500


Anyone researching WILLIAMS ? Here is a neat
little article about Washington J WILLIAMS and
the Roach ship yard in Chester:

Chester Daily Times, Chester PA.
November 3, 1882

Walked Through a Hatchway

Washington WILLIAMS, living in Upland, has been
employed on the steamer Chattahoochee, now
receiving the finishing touches at Roach's ship yard,
and last evening, after quitting work for the day,
he walked from the stern of the vessel toward the
gangway leading ashore.

In the darkness which prevailed he walked straight
into an open hatchway on the main deck and fell the
entire depth of the hull of the vessel. There was nothing
to break his fall until he reached the bottom of the
ship, where he struck first upon the kelson.

In the fall he was very injured. He was at once removed
to the office on a stretcher, and upon examination by
Dr. Johnson he was found to have broken one of his legs,
cut one of his arms severely, bruised his wrist and received
internal injuries. These were dressed and bandaged and
Mr. WILLIAMS removed to his home in Upland. He was a
boil maker by trade and had been working all day. The
injured man weighed about 200 pounds, and the crash of his
fall could be heard for some distance.

QUESTIONS:

1. Does anyone know what a kelson is??

2. Does anyone know about this steamer Chattahoochee?
The only thing I can find on that name is a Confederate
ship that sunk during the war.

And, for the record, this fall did not kill him! He died
March 6, 1918 (while at work.....)

Tina Culbertson
Havana, Florida
great granddaughter of Washington Williams

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