Simcock accident01

Waupaca Republican

July 18, 1877

Serious Accident

Last Friday morning while a son of J.B. Simcock, about fourteen years of age, was at work at the woolen mills, attending the picker, his right hand was caught in the machine, and his arm drawn in up to the elbow and cut into pieces. The bone as far as the elbow joint was crushed, and the flesh badly cut clear up to the shoulder. The picker is on the third floor, and the workmen on the second floor, hearing something wrong overhead threw off the belt that drives the picker, hurried upstairs and found the boy held fast in the machine. He was taken out, and Dr. Manchester sent for, who went down and amputated the arm above the elbow. The hand and forearm were found to be entirely picked in pieces. The boy says he was picking the wool from the roller in front of the picking cylinder when his hand was caught. It is a great misfortune.