The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-08-28
CRUSHED.
Bridge Across Deer Creek Sud.
denly Goes Down
Burying Lee Pagett Under a
Load of Stone
HIS INJURIES ARE BAD
Blood GuShes From the Mans
Mouth and NOStrilS.
He is Seriously Hurt and May
Not Recover.

When Lee Pagett left his bachelor
quarters on the Sailor farm. two miles
east of Topeka this morning and start
ed with load of stone for this city, he
little thought that an hour later would
see him there manned and internally
injured, the victim of a terrible acci-
dent.
Pagett is young man % years Of age
and has been in the employ of Charles
Sailor, the quarrNman, for several
years. While crossing a wooden bridge
spanning Deer creek on the Sailor
property at o'clock this morning on
a wagon heavily loaded with stone and
drawn by two horses, the supports OF
the bridge gave way and he fell a dis
tance of is feet in the midst of the fall
ing blocks of stone.
He was literally buried under the
stone and timbers for several minutes'
stunned by the fall and suffering eX-
cruciating pain. From this position ne
was rescued by the members OF a
family who reside near the site of the
bridge, and who were attracted to the
spot by TIE painful shrieks of one OF
the horses whose spine was fractured IN
the collapse of the bridge
Shortly after o'clock this morning
Pagett harnessed his team and hitched
them to a heavy stone wagon Whiot
had been loaded with great blocks OF
stone the evening before. Then ne
climbed on the seat and started for To-
peka. 44.,,
Deer creek runs through portioh
of the Sailor property, and across lh!s
stream Mr.. Sailor constructed pr
vate wooden bridge SeVerh years aSo-
Repairs had been made on the prldge
several times since its constructlon,and
it was thought to be in a perfectly saIe
condition. However. this morning ac-
cident proved that the supports at one
| end were rotetn and gave way under
| the strain of the heavily loaded wag-
on.
| ed to drive and had but a few feet far
| ther to go to gain the road when the
| accident occurred. When about II rect
| from the end of the structure. and with
| out the least warning of any kind, the
| bridge suddenly collapsed under the
| front wheels of the wagon and the tim
| bers crashed into the bed of the stream
| The rear wheels of the wagon caught
on the timbers of the bridge still stand
| ing, tipping the heavy vehicle and
raining huge blocks of stone on the
| body of the driver and the two horses
among the debris at the bottom of the
stream.
One of the horses was caught and
held fast between the broken timbers,
| and a great block of stone falling frac-
tured its spine.
When the men from the farm house
near by reached the scene of the wreck
| ed bridge, they saw the young laborer
stretched helpless under a mass of bro
| ken timbers and blocks of stone, faint
! ly calling for help. With every attempt
| at calling, blood gushed from his mouth
| and nose.
1t was only with the greatest difficult
| ty and after several minutes work
| that they were able to remove Pagett
| from the wreck of the bridge. While
| the work was going the injured man
continued to groan and the blood con-
| tinued to gush from his mouth and
nostrilS.
He was finally released from the load
OF timber and stone and taken to the
near by farm house. A surgeon was
| hastily summoned from Topeka and
| on examination it was found that Pag-
| ett was seriously injured internally His
right leg was fractured and the ankle
| dislocated, and his entire body was one
| mass of cuts and bruises resulting from
| the falling stone. The skin was torn
| from his face and hands
| The fractured bone was set and the
| d1sIocation of the ankle reduced and
| the injured man made as cornforta tIe.
as possible. This afternoon he still cor
| tlnues to suffer intense pain, and the
| bleeding from the nostrils and mouth
| Keeps up at intervals. 1t is not known
| whether he will recover