Daily Journal, Monday November 14, 1898
Transcribed by Janet (Genung) Nash
John Lee was a brother-in-law to my g-grandfather, Wilber A. Genung. Newspaper clipping given to me by Iva (Cornelius) Vanpelt. John Lee was the brother-in-law to Iva's grandmother, Louisa (Genung) Cornelius.
Frank A. BUSH instantly killed - John LEE very seriously injured - Coroner's Jury to investigate the harrowing causality.
At 3:30 o'clock Saturday afternoon a sad accident occurred in the town of Ithaca in which one man lost his life and another was quite seriously, if not fatally, injured. John LEE, proprietor of a traction engine and a threshing machine, with an assistant named Frank A. BUSH, both of whom resided in the town of Lansing [ John LEE lived in the Town of Dryden] , were working in Ithaca town Saturday; and having finished their work on one farm had started for another, which _________them to use the Coddington Road. One this road, about three miles from Ithaca, was a wooden bridge which crossed the D. L. & W. railroad bed, at a height of 22 feet from the tracks. The bridge was not a very old structure and, as near as could be found out by a Journal reporter, was owned by town of Ithaca, kept in repair by the D. L. & W. railroad company, and had been put in repair by the company a year ago.
Before crossing the bridge LEE and his assistant make inquiries as to its safety, whether it would stand the passing over it of the heavy engine and separator, etc. They inquired of Pathmaster STEVENS of the town of Ithaca. Mr. STEVENS was rather non-committal on the subject, refusing to assume any responsibility, stating that he did not know whether the bridge would hold the machines or not and that they had best investigate for themselves as to its safety. Whether they investigated thoroughly or not cannot be stated, but subsequent results proved that the bridge was not safe. The bridge had three spans, the middle span being eighteen feet wide. While the engine and threshing machine were passing over the middle span it gave way, the engine falling to the track below and pulling the threshing machine after it. The engine turned completely over in its rapid descent and when it struck the track fell on its back. The two men were pinioned under the wreck. BUSH was caught by the steering wheel, which lay directly across his stomach, and it is thought that death must have been instantaneous. No other part of his body was imprisoned under the wreck. LEE was pinioned also, being caught under the leg BUSH.
The crash soon brought assistance and word was immediately sent to the D. L. & W station of the accident so that the tracks could be cleared and assistance sent to the men pinioned under the wreckage. A train was quickly made up and sent to the scene of the accident. A crew of trainmen worked for an hour before they succeeded in freeing LEE from his perilous position, and he was brought to the hospital by Mr. STEVENS. The railroad people then worked rapidly to get the track cleared for the passenger train NO. 3 from New York to Ithaca, but did not succeed; and the passengers were transferred around the obstruction.
The track was cleared of the obstruction by using town engines, one locomotive was fastened on to the traction engine and pulled it about an eighth of a mile, when it was dumped off the side of the roadbed, while the other engine fastened on to the thresher and pulled it some distance, when it, too, was dumped over to the side of the road bed.
The body of BUSH was placed in the baggage car, brought to Ithaca and sent to Baldwin's morgue. The train arrived in the city about 7 o'clock, while the regular passenger train did not reach Ithaca until 9'oclock.
Coroner J. Watson BROWN was notified of the nature of the accident and deemed it necessary to empanel a coroner's jury. He made up a jury of eight which consists as follows: E. O. GODFREY, foreman, Jefferson H. RHEN, C. A. BROWN, O. T. STEPHENS, P. WALL, Judson B. TODD, F. L. CLOCK, Charles H. BROOKS.
The jury viewed the remains Saturday night and then adjourned until Wednesday night at seven o'clock, when evidence in the matter will be heard. This session of the coroner's jury will be held in the common council chambers.
Frank A. BUSH, the deceased, lived in the town of Lansing, near the Dryden line and in a house owned by his mother. He leaves a wife and seven children. The oldest child is twenty-one and the youngest fourteen months.
Yesterday the scene of the accident was the centre of attraction and hundreds of Ithaca people walked out to see what was left of the bridge.
It is estimated that the engine and separator weighted together about six tons.
The injuries sustained by LEE consist of a fractured collar bone, a serious laceration of the knee, which was deeply gouged by broken parts of the engine and filled with dirt, and the scalding of both lower limbs, the flesh being cooked until is was white. The attending surgeons say his condition is critical, but that there is a slight chance for to recover.
[ It has been said by family members of John LEE, that the accident happened near Brookton (Brooktondale today) Town of Caroline, NY. John LEE did recover from this accident, but he was crippled from the accident. John was born April 14, 1868 and died Aug. 21, 1921, he was the son of Charles & E. (Hogh) LEE. John married on June 17, 1891 to Minnie Edith GENUNG b. July 30, 1869 d. 1944 she was the daughter of Jacob Peter & Angeline (Pew) Genung. John and Minnie had the following children: Kenneth Peter, Angie, Robert Besemer, Fordyce, Mary E..
John and Minnie lived in Ellis Hollow, Town of Dryden, NY. John and his wife and all of his adult children are buried in East Lawn Cemetery, Ithaca, NY.]
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