A DREADFUL ACCIDENT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1200, 14 November 1882, Page 1 (Supplement)

A DREADFUL ACCIDENT.

A dbeadi’UL accident recently occurred at Messrs. Spottiswoode’s, printers, near Gough-i-quare, London. Two boys were in the lift of a hydraulic which takes the paper to the different doors of Messrs. Spottiswoode a warehouse. It is stated that neither of the lads had am’ business' ill it. The lift was put in motion from the first floor, and as it was going past the second floor William Wilcox, aged 16, residing at 26, Wickersley-grove, Lavender Hili, put his head over the side of the lift to “ chaff ” or talk to a girl employed in the warehouse. While he was looking over, the lift with him in it was still rising, and his head struck against a cross beam. The beam bore his head downwards, and his neck became jammed between the beam and the side of the lift. Such was the force that while his head was firmly held his legs were sent straight up in the air. He gave a dreadful shriek, and the screams of the other boy called the attention of a number of workpeople to one of the most shocking accidents they had ever seen. While the lad was in this position two assistant engineers, named Sibley and Bignell, obtained two crowbars, and tried to extricate him. Not being able to do it from the floor they climbed into the lift, and with the crowbars forced the lift from the beam against which the lad was wedged. His head was severed from his body, and blood was dropping rapidly on the floor. As soon as the men had shifted the lift the body fell to the ground, and almost simultaneously, the chain cf the lift slackened out, and precipitated the lift to the ground below. As it fell to the ground the two assistant engineers, Messrs. Sibley and Bignell, who were in it, received terrible injuries to their heads. The two injured men were conveyed to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.