Distressing Accident-1871

ROBERTS, SHIELDS, ELDER

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 4/21/2018 at 15:50:34

Dubuque Daily Times Wednesday, August 10, 1871, Dubuque, Iowa, Page: 1

The Albia narrates the following distressing accident:

On Wednesday, the 20th ult., near Lovilia, Monroe County, a little daughter of Mr. Nathan Roberts, aged 10 years, met the most shocking accident that has happened in this county for several years. It appears that the child came to the field to notify her father, who was in the field mowing with another man, that the house was on fire. The father loosened both traces from the machine, and putting the team in charge of the other man, left for the house, and soon after he gave care of the team over to the little girl and ran to the house also. Mr. Roberts called to his little daughter to drive the team to the house, supposing she would drive up without the machine, as he had unhitched the horses before leaving. But she understanding the directions differently, stepped up in front of the sickle to hitch the traces again to the machine. Just as they were hitched, the horses started forward, the sickle striking her ankle joints as she attempted to jump above it, and cut both limbs almost off; the bones of each limb being entirely severed, and her feet hanging just by a small strip of flesh and tendons at the heels. Drs. Shields and Elder were called to have adjusted the parts of the limbs together, so that if the bones should unite successfully, she might get along tolerably, though it is thought she will have to remain a cripple the balance of her life. At last accounts she was doing well with fair prospects of union of the bones.