The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-07-25
Flshersville Items.

DISTRESSING ACCIDENT-BARN BURNT.
Our Intelligent correspondent, "Osceola, "
writing from Fishersville, gives the following
account of a distressing accident
Quite CONSERVATION was caused among
those employed at the stave factory of
Schumacher & Young, near Fishe"sville, on
Friday last by the accidental death of john
ny Harris, boy 16 years old, who was en-
ployed in the factory, bearing slaves from
the cutter to the equalizer.
He had been at the factory only a few
days, and up to Tuesday morning had been
engaged OH the outside, which required more
strength than he could bring to bear, and
was. at the request of his father, James Har-
ris, removed to the place above mentioned.
It is only few steps from the cutter to
the saw, and the youth performed his work
with alacrity up to thirty minutes past eight
on Friday, when in carrying a lead of slaves to
the table, which is located at the left of the
equalizing machine, he stumbled or slipped,
falling against one of the saws, and was
horribly cut and torn.
The saws of the equalizer are fitted to the
same shaft and are Is inches (the length of
stave) apart, and only y inches in dame
ter, running with velocity of perhaps 1000
or $500 revolutions PER minute.
No one saw the fall except the man who
was engaged in passing the slaves through
this machine, and, although his face and
eyes were filled with the blood by the saw,
he was, for moment or two, totally una
ware that any thing Of serious nature had
happened. Mr.. Isaac Moon, who happened
to be passing through the factory on business,
and on seeing the boy thought he had fallen
in fit.
The hands gathered round as soon as they
could be made to understand that there had
been some one hurt. and it was then seen
that the saw had cut and torn its passage
from the upper part of che thigh, through
the hips and into the bowels and liver in an
oblique direction, severing the youth half in
twain.
He was at once conveyed into the most
accessible quarters, and though glance was
sufficient to show that neither medical nor
surgical skill would benefit him, DR.. Harry
M. bold was called and promptly made his
appearance.
He begged the DR.. to put him to sleep-to
turn him over-to give him water-to re-
lieve his pain in some way. But his case
was past relief.
Rey. Mr.. Stricken, of Thinking Spring
Church, was sent for, and in the interval
Giiat CitapoCu uCIoIC Ills Arrival, MI. OIkeSOfl
who had sat tanning the wounded boy from
the time he had been brought into the shan
ty, endeavored to have him fix his mind on
his rapidly approaching dissolution and fu-
ture state.
To Mr., Gilkeson and DR.. Dold he eX-
pressed sorrow on being compelled to leave
his brothers. They gave him the assurance
that they would be cared for. After further
conversation he expressed hope that he
would live in better world after death.
Mr.. Stricken arrived in time to give spir-
itual instruction and offer prayer before
death took place.
The boys father arrived few moments
before he died, but was too much overcome
with grief to see his child. The groanings OF
Mr.. Harris were truly pitiable, and would
have wrung tears from the stoutest heart.
Mr.. Harris has undergone very severe mis-
fortunes heretofore, the saddest of which was
the burning OF his wife, by the explosion of
a kerosene lamp, about one year ago.
The body was inferred on Hickory Hill
this Saturday morning.
Mr.. Young; Mr.. Jno. Schumacher, Mr.. Geo.
Gibson and sisters, with many other good
people OF the neighborhood, deserve credit
for their kind attentions to the boy and his
friends.
Since the above was written, we have
learned through Mr.. Grass, who carries U.
S. mail between this point and Sherando,
that Mr. Jas. w. Padgett's barn with all his
wheat, oats, hay, harness and wagons were
destroyed by lightning on Friday about l
p. IN. The horses were in the stable but
were saved.