Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-08-18
A FKIGuIFUL ACCIDENT
The scalp torn from n wcmxns Head
and KGePlGccd.

An accident occurred az the watch fac
tory in Elgin, Illinois, on Monday Lass,
which is described as being one OF the
most frightiul ever known in that part of
the country. The Eigib Gazette gives the
following account of the affair:
Miss Mary Tyrfel, an empIcye of the
company was standing In a chair, having
been placing some cases of watch parts on
a shelf nesr a shaft that is attached to the
upper ceiling of the room. when, as she
turned to ge5 down, her hair wes caught
IN the coupling of the rapidly revolving
shaft. In an instant 81 e was ierked off her
feet, for brief second suspended by her
locks III the air. and, while giving one
wild shrek of terror, the scalp was torn
from her head, leaving the poor mutiated
victim to drop to the floor hideouG look
ing object. Falling upon her hands and
knees, she instantly sprang to her feet,
raising her hands to her head, and walked
out to the Office door, (the Office is q place
about fen feet square, enclosed by O rail-
ing) On coming TO the door she turned
around, locking mp to the shaft, when she
saw her seal p still attached, wheeling with
almost lightning rapidity, and with each
turn striking against the ceiling with q
dull, heavy sound, that TO the poor girl
seemed like the voice of her doom her
feelings finally found expression in the ex-
ciamatlon My God, must die can no
one help mo ?" Supported by friends, she
walked into an adjoining room, where the
wound was dressed by the physicians. Drs.
A. l.. Clark and Burlingame, who had
been summoned on the instant, after
which, with little support, she walked to
and get into tho carriage that conveyed
her home, where, some seven hours after
the accident, the scalp was replaced upon
a hood hu nr kol
by DR.. A. l.. Clark. Since the accident
the patient has suffered but little pain,
sleeps easily, converses quite freely and
with occasional sparkles of levity, and ex-
poets to get well.
Strike line from between the eyebrows
through the centre of the left ear to the
back of the neck; from the back of the
neck around just below the right ear to
the point where the eyes open, and you
have very nearly the outline of the wound;
the entire scalp above that line having
been torn off, carrying with it both eye
brOws, the half of one ear and the whole
of the other, leaving the entire skull ex-
posed, white and ghastly and it is the
united opinion of those who saw the acci-
dent that if she had been permitted, as
she desired within few minutes after the
| occurrence, to look at herself in glass,
tbs sight would have killed her. Old
soldiers who were in the room unanimously
pronounce it the most frightfuI sight to
look upon they had ever seen.
Nothing has ever occurred in our midst
that has created so strong O. feeling of
pity, regret and sympathy as has the mis-
fortune of this young lady. Prepossessing
in appearance, with a kind word for all,
she was general favorite, and there
being but slight chance for her to sur
vive, O strong anxiety was manifested by
every one, and when 1t became known
that there was a disagreement between the
physicians Gs to the proper mode of treat
melt In the case, new fear seemed to
arise that the proper treatment might not
be adopted, and thus lose the cnly chance
for life.
The issue was upon the question whether
the scalp should be replaced upon the
head or not after it had been off some
seven hours, DR.. Winchester thinking il
should be, and DR.. Clark thinking it
should not DR.. Winchester gave as his
reason for his theory, that if the girl should
recover with an exposed skull, the recov-
cry could be but temporary (; that if the
scalp would grow fast again the cure might
be permanent that the scalp was the
natural, therefore the proper dressing,
and should be placed ba X, SO that tho
girl thcud have the benefi Of the chance,
though Slight, of its growing on, which
she certainly would not hrve If il
were LETT oil. Dr. Clark claimed, On
the contrary, that i, was not the
proper dressinR, and that to replace IL
would le- seu the girl's Chance, of Iecove
ry. II was finally decided TO adopt DR..
W's theory, and it WIS replpctd. Four
days have pa sed, and at sent writing
Judge Wilcox, at whose I side. ce the girl
is living, expresses a belief It. at the exper-
iment will prove success the scalp has
every appearance of being healthy, and
the patient says that, if she can be Judge
from the feeling, he head is we'll Sue still
suffers from the strain of the neck. Up TO
to day she had eaten nothing except in
liquid form, but is now able to eat. Shonld
she recover and the scalp attach itself, it
will be one of the most wonderful cures
on record. Tho attending physician ex-
presses no opinion in regard to it other
practitioners seem to think that recovery
Is next to impossible,