The St. Louis Republic., 1900-08-22
Adele Lynch's Long Flair Caught
by Swiftly Turning Power
Shaft in a Bindery.
SKULL is WHOLLY EXPOSED.
Relatives Will Furnish Skin to Be
Used in Attempt to Replace
the Missing Tissues I'm
less Death Results.

Adele Lynch, a young woman, employed
In the bindery CT Parker Bros, on the
fourth floor of printing house at Third
and Olive streets, was probably fatally IN
1ured while at work yesterday afternoon.
Her entire scalp, from the nape OF the
neck to the upper part of the eyelds. was
stripped from her head. leaving the skull
completely exposed. One ear was torn loose.
but was stitched back on. The accident
was caused by her long hair. which she was
wearing down her back, becoming caught
around a three-inch iron shaft. She is now
at the City Hospital where. this afternoon.
the delicate task of grating 16o square
Inches of skin over the wound will be be-
gun.
Miss Lynch lives with her mother, SIS
ter and brother at No. 1414 Benton street.
She recently graduated from the High
School and had been employed by Parker
Bros for only few days. Yesterday after
noon her task Was TO gather up folders from
several piles and take them to a stitching
table, few feet away. These folders lay
on the floor Immediately in front of large
table. at one end OF which was q three-inch
iron shaft. running upright through the
floor almost 10 the ceiling. and furnishing
the power for the operation of the ma
chinery in the binGery.
AS she stopped to take up an armfu Of
the folders she slipped on some loose pa
per and fell toward the rapidly revolving
shaft. AT the same instant a gust of wind
blew her hair toH ard the shaft and wrapped
the long. soft strands around It.
Miss Lynch screamed as she fell, and her
feiiow-empioyes started to her assistance
Before they could reach her, however tie
shaft had torn her entire scalp completely
from her head. and held it while she lay
PROSTATE on the floor. She sprang to her
feet without help, and stood half-dazed ard
moaning until led TO a chair.
Doctor {. W. Parker was called. Miss
Lynch awaited his coming calmly. She new
er lost consciousness, and explained how
the accident occurred. entering carefully in
10 details she could recall them. Doctor
Parker applied soothing lotions and anaes-
thetics and bandaged the wound as we'll
as he could. and then took her in his buggy
to the City Hospital.
Superintendent Nietert of the City Hospit-
al said last night that the case was the
most remarkable he had ever seen or read
or lie feared meningitis on account of the
nature of the wound, and the necessarily
long exposure of the skull, and expressed
the opinion that the chances for recovery
Were only about 25 per cent
in Importance and interest TO surgeons is
that Of Ruby Richards who Is still at the
City Hospital August "a last. while en-
p!oyed i'll the shroudroom Of coffin fac
tory on Thirteenth street, her hair was
caught by a horizontal power shaft. and the
scalp, from the nape of the neck to the
edge of the hair line in 'front.' was torn
loose. In this case. however, the scalp
was not taken completely Off. as In Miss
Lynch's case. nor were the muscles and tis-
sues between the skin and the skull torn
away, as is the case now. New skin was
grated upon Miss Richards's skull, and
she is now almost entirely recovered.
Miss Lynch's mother, sister and brother,
John, called at the City Hospital soon after
they heard OF the accident. and offered to
give the immense amount of skin that will
be necessary for the grating process. Mrs.
Lynch said her daughter had never been
employed until she was engaged by Parker
Bros. and the impression of the family
was that she did not work near machinery
OF any kind.