The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-08-11
A Singular Accident.

Joyous party of ladies and gentlemen start
ed out from the neighborhood of Guthrie
vile, Chester county, for the purpose of
spending day on the summit of the ro-
mantle Welsh Mountain, about two miles
and half from Morgantown. The party
consisted of six ladies and five gentlemen.
Two of the ladies were sisters, from Bal
timore Misses S. v. and Annie r. John
son.
A swing had been put up in the morn
ing, suspended from the limb of tree
about sixty feet tall. About half way up
this solid old oak huge limb branched out
to the left, upon which both ends of the
rope we're fastened thus making the swing
thirty feet, requiring rope over sixty feet
long-one used for well digging This
swing had been used during the day with
out accident. Miss johnson, who is lady
of daring disposition, insisted on being
swung as high as could be done by the
aid of the gentlemen.
Up went the swing higher and higher,
until fully thirty feet had been reached
She had been cheerful and lively up to this
point, but all of sudden she became
quiet, the rest of the ladies were awe
stricken, and when the swing with its pre-
cious burden made one swift sweep in the
air, her head was noticed to drop to one
side, her muscles relaxed, her arms to let
go their hold and drop, and away the un-
fortunate girl was hurled through the air.
The momentum of the swings motion
carried the apparently lifeless form of the
girl up fully thirty-fve feet from the
ground and lodged her safely and securely
between two branches at the point where
they join the trunk of tree, which stood
about thirty-eight feet from the tree to
which the rope was attached. 1t required
only few minutes deliberation for the
gentlemen to realize the situation and de-
termined what to do.
1t was fully twenty feet from the ground
to the first limb above, and the trunk of
the tree about three feet in diameter
They backed the wagon with its canvas
cover directly under the tree, go that in
case she would drop, her fall would be
broken. The swing was hurriedly taken
down and in an instant one end of the rope
was thrown over the limbs of the other
tree and secured below.
By this means two gentlemen of the
party hurTiedly went up the rope and in a
few minutes were at the side of the unfor
tunate girl. She was just returning to
consciousness, and the force of her fall had
80 securely wedged her between the trunk
and the limbs as to require no little effort
to extricate her.
Miss johnson at once realized her fearful
situation she was pale and weak but still
had the good sense to do as the gentlemen
desired. The rope was pulled up, a slip
knot was made and then passed around her
body, under her arms, the other end pass
ed around the limb, and in this manner
was lowered to the ground in safety. With
few severe bruises and scratches, she sus-
tanned no serious injury. .. Va.
aB- To Capt. Israel Winston we are in
debted for the particulars of terrible cas-
ualty that occurred about six miles from
Fredericksburg, Ray county, on Tuesday
evening.
A widow woman, named Mary Adamson,
had resided on farm in that neighgorhood
for several years in company with her two
children, one boy seven years old, and the
other girl aged five. During the after
noon she visited neighbor residing about
mile distant, and started home just after
olo dc 81 hat
ed storm, yet Mrs. Adamson supposed
she could reach her house before it came
up, and felt anxious about some clothing
that she had left hanging on a line in the
yard. When about half the distance had
been accomplished the storm came on with
terrible force, and the parties sought ref
nge under tree. An hour afterward a
neighbor passing the spot noticed three
bodies lying near the tree. All had been
evidently killed by stroke of lightning.
The little girl lay about five feet from the
mother, her clothing completely burned of
and the upper portion her body badly
scorched. A few feet from her was the
body of the boy he had evidently been hit
squarely on the head, as nearly one-halt
the hair was singed off, The person of the
mother showed but few marks of the
shock. She occupied a half sitting pest
ure, leaning against the tree, the right
hand dropping by her side, the left out
stretched, as If reaching for something.
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EE- An infuriated father, whose daugh-
ter had eloped with the man of her choice,