A FATAL ACCIDENT

(News September 1, 1898)

            Saturday afternoon the threshing crew of Houck & Co. came to town bringing with them Joe Tays, who had been painfully and as afterwards proved fatally injured.

            The crew was out finishing up a setting of grain on the Miles Bacon farm about 18 miles from this place.  Joe Tays who was fireman on the engine had left the engine and gone to help clean up around the separator, the man who was bucking the straw had taken a load around and was pitching it into the tender, when Tays happened to look up and saw that the straw around the engine was on fire.  He went over to the engine and tried to put out the fire alone.  The men were all busy around the separator and did not notice the fire at first.  Jim Springsteel, the engineer, as soon as he discovered it, ran to the engine and putting the traction in gear started the engine and having headed it out in the field jumped off and let it go.  The dust and smoke were so thick that Mr. Springsteel could see very little but, as he stepped off he saw something bob up from the ground and making a grab caught Joe Tays, whose left leg had been run over by the engine,

it having passed over the knee crushing it and breaking the bones in several places.  As he was thrown down by the engine he inhaled enough of the flames from the fire he was fighting, to cause his death.

            The injured man was immediately brought to his home in Gettysburg and Dr. Hull summoned but Joe died a short time afterward.

            The deceased was 29 years of age and leaves a wife, to whom he was married about a year ago, and a little child. The funeral took place Sunday at 3 o'clock, at the house, Rev. D. Barker officiating.  A large procession followed the remains to the cemetery, where they were laid to rest.  The bereaved widow and relatives have the sympathy of this community.

Use Your Back Key to Return to Home Page