Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Ice Causes Accidents, Injuries in Hickory, Jan. 7, 1920

From the Hickory Daily Record, Wednesday, January 7, 1920

Several People Hurt Today by Falls

Several accidents, some of them serious, were reported today as a result of the glaze that covered all out-doors and many automobiles are reported out of commission. Before noon there were few cars on the streets.

An automobile driven by Mr. B.D. Williams of Charlotte was smashed when it attempted to climb a telephone pole on Thirteenth avenue early today. Mr. and Mrs. Williams, who are visiting Mr. and Mrs. K.C. Menzies, had started home and the machine had not left the driveway before the trouble began. The car ran into a pole and two wheels were smashed.

Two automobiles were wrecked at the corner of Thirteenth avenue and Seventeenth street this morning. They had hit the curbing. The upper end of Main street was the most notable place for slipping and, as stated elsewhere, several cars were on the side walk much of the morning.

Mr. Jesse Warlick was coming in rapidly from Forest Park this morning and passed Mr. J.W. Shuford on Seventeenth street. Mr. Warlick started back home without any effort on his part and despite his efforts to proceed to town. He got here.

Mr. S.L. Whitener stepped out in his back yard this morning with a bucket of water for his chickens. He slid but he makes the point that in traversing 10 feet on his side he did not spill a drop.

The Record has mentioned elsewhere accidents to Miss Boney and Mr. Deal. A college boy fell near the post office and was rendered unconscious. No bones were broken.

There was a score of other accidents reported, but none of them were of a serious nature.

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Mr. Deal’s Arm Broken

Mr. W.M. Deal fell this morning and broke his left arm in two places while on his way to the Hickory Manufacturing Company, where he is employed. It was a painful fall, but it is hoped he will recover promptly.
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Miss Boney’s Arm Fractured in Fall
Miss Kathryn Boney of Lenoir, teacher of the fourth grade at the North school, fell on the ice at the home of Mrs. W.R. Weaver this morning and sustained a fracture of the left wrist that will keep her indoors for a few days. Dr. Rowe was summoned and carried her to the Richard Baker hospital where an X-ray examination disclosed a slight fracture.

Miss Boney fell down 10 steps and suffered injuries that were painful. Her left arm is badly swollen and the shake-up was severe on her nerves, but it is expected that she will be able to resume her teaching in a few days.

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Hickory People Have Rough Walking

Hickory men and women walked gingerly today—an you might have seen pa come steppin, high, which was not his walk the way—to paraphrase what a famous poet sang years ago for J.P. Caldwell. There was a reason, and nuf sed after you have ventured out on the streets yourself.
But for the benefit of those persons who have not tried to negotiate a high set of steps, or have not tried to make an uphill pull, or essayed to keep a car on the street, it is necessary to elucidate. It is absolutely essential that the reporter make his remarks clear, that he use words to denote and connote certain shades of blue, white and black, in order that those who have been compelled to remain at home and have missed the ups and downs of locomotion on the streets may be left in no doubt of his meaning.

The genesis of this story began, some say, about 10 o’clock last night when nature, in sifting the elements, tried to make snow and failed. The result is what your boy and girl call sleet, and what you might call it during a lapse of the tongue, but what the specialists in charge of the weather bureau at Washington denominate as glaze. For the purpose of this story, we shall call it glaze in order not to take issue with anybody.

It glazed all right or all wrong, as the case may be. If you had been standing on the corner of Main street and Thirteenth street this morning about 8 o’clock, you might have seen a few automobiles and trucks skating around the corner and incidentally climbing on the sidewalk and bumping into the battery station there. As fast as a car pushed up on the sidewalk, somebody helped it off. One man who came down Thirteenth avenue in a new machine said he spun round a dozen times and thought he was in a top.

Many children were having good times, but some were indulging in a practice that was liable to prove serious. They were swinging onto automobiles, which were likely to slip and crush a little body. Parents should caution their children to keep away from cars at all times, especially during a glaze like that of this morning.

Among those falling on the streets this morning were school teachers. Several persons were seriously hurt.

The weather man promised snow for the western end of the state last night and rain today, and the indications early this morning were both.

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From the Lincolnton News, as reprinted in the Hickory Daily News, Jan. 7, 1920

Seriously Injured When Struck by Automobile

Mr. A.G. Stewart, who lives near Lookout Shoals, was seriously hurt Tuesday morning when he was struck by an automobile owned by Rev. S.L. Cathey, and driven by Mr. T.W. Springs of Mount Holly. The accident occurred at Stony Point. Mr. Stewart suffered a dislocated hip and internal injuries. He was sent to Long’s Sanatorium in Statesville for treatment. It is believe that he will recover.

Mr. Stewart had left his team beside the road with his small son. The horses became frightened. Mr. Stewart, hurrying to the team, emerged from behind a pile of crossties into the road directly in front of the automobile. He was struck before the car stopped. Mr. Springs was accompanied in the car by Mr. Cathey. The injured man is 34 years of age. He has a wife and several children.

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