Ernest Miller – Lanark County
From the Perth Courier and the Almonte Gazette
March 7, 1851 – John McDiarmid, a respectable farmer residing in 5th Concession Ramsay, while the threshing machine was in full operation, slipped his footing and fell backwards. His left arm was caught in the machinery and greatly mangled, requiring it to be amputated.
November 20, 1868 – Patrick Furlong, living on the 6th Concession of Bathurst, while assisting at a threshing machine, fell from the top of a straw stack to the ground. His shoulder striking against a log, severe contusions were afflicted on his shoulder and arm. It is supposed that severe internal injuries have been sustained in addition. At last accounts, he was suffering very great pain.
Dec. 15, 1871 – A lad of 14 years, Charles Boyle, son of a widow residing in Almonte, came to a violent death in the following manner. He was attending a threshing machine on Monday when he came hastily out of the barn and put two span of horses in motion. Before the driver could succeed in stopping them the unfortunate lad was caught in the coupling which attached the horse power to the spindle driving the machine, and which dragged him roughly around. His leg was badly broken also his ankle, his neck badly cut, besides other injuries. He lived only two hours after the accident.
Picture of P.M Campbell with horses and his son Lindsay Campbell in the background-courtesy of Robert Campbell
July 19, 1872 – James Gamble, a wealthy and respectable farmer living on the 4th Line Bathurst, came to his death in a very sudden and unusual manner. He was engaged in mowing with a machine and one of the wheels ran into a hole causing a shock which threw him off his feet in front of the machine. The horses were stopped as soon as possible by his son and other friends but not before the old gentleman had been dragged a little distance. When extricated the unfortunate man was found in his last gasp and a few moments after he was quite dead.
Sept. 22, 1876 – A young man named Charles Connell, while attending a threshing mill in Poland, 14 miles from Lanark, fell upon the cylinder of the mill, severely shattering one of his legs. He died in six hours after the accident. November 17, 1876 – A young man named Gaskin met with a severe accident while threshing at Mrs. Halliday’s, South Elmsley. He meant to step on the horse power but missed his footing and his leg slipped into the whole wheel. In an instant it was seized by the revolving teeth and badly crushed, both bones being broken and the flesh dreadfully lacerated. The horses were almost instantly stopped or the leg would have been torn off. He died last Saturday from his injuries.
From Dualsport Diary
July 20, 1888 – A sad accident occurred in Montague last Friday whereby Mr. D. McIntyre lost his life. It appears that Mr. McIntyre had been engaged in hauling hay when his team became frightened at something and ran away upsetting the hay wagon and throwing the driver head first on a pile of stones, breaking his neck. Death was almost instantaneous. July 20, 1888- On Friday morning, Findlay and Thomas McIntyre were drawing in hay and the horses became frightened and ran away across the field, jumping the fence and Thomas who was on the wagon, was thrown to the ground and dragged for several yards and when his brother Findlay reached the spot he found him insensible. He breathed only a few minutes and passed away.
Picture of the Balderson Cheese factory was established in 1881 by local dairy farmers of Lanark–Drummond North Elmsley
November 2, 1894 – One of the old landmarks is gone from the township of Darling in the person of James McIlraith who died at midnight on Saturday, 20th October after little more than a day’s illness caused by injuries from falling while he was running after a sheep in his orchard. The injuries sustained were of such a nature that little could be done beyond allaying the pain and he gradually sank until he died just 36 hours from the time of the accident.
July 15, 1898 – James H. Taylor of Lanark died from his attack of sunstroke on Wednesday night of last week.
July 28, 1899 – Maberly News: Last week Charles Strong was injured by digging stones with a crowbar and a short time after he died.
Want to see more? Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read.
Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in Hometown News
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