The Columbian
November 26, 1913
A Cruel Accident Claims Life Of A Young Saw Mill Employee
Many times has The Columbian been called upon to chronicle sad accidents in which people died by loss of limbs, by being cut, or crushed, or mangled in numerous ways, but never before has such an occurrence as we have to relate been brought to our attention.
Yesterday morning, about 8:30, Deen M. Holmes, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam S. Holmes, of near Foxworth, was cut in twain by a button saw while operating the machine in the mill plant of Green Brothers, about 8 miles west of Columbia, meeting death instantly. The remains were interred at the home grave yard this morning at 11:30.
It seems that while the young man was operating this saw, on timbers 2x8x10, owing to position he adjusted the same to a timber with his right hand instead of his left, and in doing this he pulled with unusual force which caused the saw to buck or choke, thus bringing a great stress to bear upon the five ply galvanized wire rope attached to the weight which held the saw in the proper position. When this happened, the wires snapped, the weight dropped, and the whizzing saw was free to follow its own course driven at a terrific speed by the heavy machinery necessary in work of this kind. In this shape it proved a death dealing missile to the young man who had heretofore controlled its movements.
Young Holmes was standing in such a position, at the moment, that when the steel toothed monster went whirling off into space after having climbed the heavy timber, he was struck first in the left lower limb just above the knee, from whence the saw traveled almost directly through the crotch; going on, the abdomen was completely severed, the heart was cut open, while the neck, face and skull were cast asunder, as if the death dealing instrument was bound to follow some well destined course. The body was cut completely asunder from the knee up. Yet this sad accident happened in less time than the mind is capable of thinking, and the young man was called from loved ones and friends on this earth to the great beyond, we fancy, with not so much even as an inkling of realization of what was happening.
His mother was prostrated over this sad and cruel visitation of the grim reaper into her home, and has been aroused only to see for the last time the face of her loved son, Deen.
We understand that much solicitation is felt by friends of the family for her survival of the heartrending shock.
Mr. Robert C. Snell, undertaker and embalmer for the Lampton Company, who came here with his wife only a short while ago from Memphis, was given immediate charge of the body, and so intricate was the undertaking that he worked unceasingly for ten long hours preparing and embalming the remains for burial. Those who beheld the sad spectacle before and after the applications of the various methods known to the embalmer's science, assert that one who had not seen at first could not begin to realize the extent to which the body was cut and mangled, and are praising the conscientious and scientific skill of Mr. Snell, in this unusual undertaking.
Article submitted by; Shirley Fortenberry Ramshur
November 26, 1913
A Cruel Accident Claims Life Of A Young Saw Mill Employee
Many times has The Columbian been called upon to chronicle sad accidents in which people died by loss of limbs, by being cut, or crushed, or mangled in numerous ways, but never before has such an occurrence as we have to relate been brought to our attention.
Yesterday morning, about 8:30, Deen M. Holmes, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam S. Holmes, of near Foxworth, was cut in twain by a button saw while operating the machine in the mill plant of Green Brothers, about 8 miles west of Columbia, meeting death instantly. The remains were interred at the home grave yard this morning at 11:30.
It seems that while the young man was operating this saw, on timbers 2x8x10, owing to position he adjusted the same to a timber with his right hand instead of his left, and in doing this he pulled with unusual force which caused the saw to buck or choke, thus bringing a great stress to bear upon the five ply galvanized wire rope attached to the weight which held the saw in the proper position. When this happened, the wires snapped, the weight dropped, and the whizzing saw was free to follow its own course driven at a terrific speed by the heavy machinery necessary in work of this kind. In this shape it proved a death dealing missile to the young man who had heretofore controlled its movements.
Young Holmes was standing in such a position, at the moment, that when the steel toothed monster went whirling off into space after having climbed the heavy timber, he was struck first in the left lower limb just above the knee, from whence the saw traveled almost directly through the crotch; going on, the abdomen was completely severed, the heart was cut open, while the neck, face and skull were cast asunder, as if the death dealing instrument was bound to follow some well destined course. The body was cut completely asunder from the knee up. Yet this sad accident happened in less time than the mind is capable of thinking, and the young man was called from loved ones and friends on this earth to the great beyond, we fancy, with not so much even as an inkling of realization of what was happening.
His mother was prostrated over this sad and cruel visitation of the grim reaper into her home, and has been aroused only to see for the last time the face of her loved son, Deen.
We understand that much solicitation is felt by friends of the family for her survival of the heartrending shock.
Mr. Robert C. Snell, undertaker and embalmer for the Lampton Company, who came here with his wife only a short while ago from Memphis, was given immediate charge of the body, and so intricate was the undertaking that he worked unceasingly for ten long hours preparing and embalming the remains for burial. Those who beheld the sad spectacle before and after the applications of the various methods known to the embalmer's science, assert that one who had not seen at first could not begin to realize the extent to which the body was cut and mangled, and are praising the conscientious and scientific skill of Mr. Snell, in this unusual undertaking.
Article submitted by; Shirley Fortenberry Ramshur
The Columbian
November 26, 1913
A Cruel Accident Claims Life Of A Young Saw Mill Employee
Many times has The Columbian been called upon to chronicle sad accidents in which people died by loss of limbs, by being cut, or crushed, or mangled in numerous ways, but never before has such an occurrence as we have to relate been brought to our attention.
Yesterday morning, about 8:30, Deen M. Holmes, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam S. Holmes, of near Foxworth, was cut in twain by a button saw while operating the machine in the mill plant of Green Brothers, about 8 miles west of Columbia, meeting death instantly. The remains were interred at the home grave yard this morning at 11:30.
It seems that while the young man was operating this saw, on timbers 2x8x10, owing to position he adjusted the same to a timber with his right hand instead of his left, and in doing this he pulled with unusual force which caused the saw to buck or choke, thus bringing a great stress to bear upon the five ply galvanized wire rope attached to the weight which held the saw in the proper position. When this happened, the wires snapped, the weight dropped, and the whizzing saw was free to follow its own course driven at a terrific speed by the heavy machinery necessary in work of this kind. In this shape it proved a death dealing missile to the young man who had heretofore controlled its movements.
Young Holmes was standing in such a position, at the moment, that when the steel toothed monster went whirling off into space after having climbed the heavy timber, he was struck first in the left lower limb just above the knee, from whence the saw traveled almost directly through the crotch; going on, the abdomen was completely severed, the heart was cut open, while the neck, face and skull were cast asunder, as if the death dealing instrument was bound to follow some well destined course. The body was cut completely asunder from the knee up. Yet this sad accident happened in less time than the mind is capable of thinking, and the young man was called from loved ones and friends on this earth to the great beyond, we fancy, with not so much even as an inkling of realization of what was happening.
His mother was prostrated over this sad and cruel visitation of the grim reaper into her home, and has been aroused only to see for the last time the face of her loved son, Deen.
We understand that much solicitation is felt by friends of the family for her survival of the heartrending shock.
Mr. Robert C. Snell, undertaker and embalmer for the Lampton Company, who came here with his wife only a short while ago from Memphis, was given immediate charge of the body, and so intricate was the undertaking that he worked unceasingly for ten long hours preparing and embalming the remains for burial. Those who beheld the sad spectacle before and after the applications of the various methods known to the embalmer's science, assert that one who had not seen at first could not begin to realize the extent to which the body was cut and mangled, and are praising the conscientious and scientific skill of Mr. Snell, in this unusual undertaking.
Article submitted by; Shirley Fortenberry Ramshur
November 26, 1913
A Cruel Accident Claims Life Of A Young Saw Mill Employee
Many times has The Columbian been called upon to chronicle sad accidents in which people died by loss of limbs, by being cut, or crushed, or mangled in numerous ways, but never before has such an occurrence as we have to relate been brought to our attention.
Yesterday morning, about 8:30, Deen M. Holmes, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam S. Holmes, of near Foxworth, was cut in twain by a button saw while operating the machine in the mill plant of Green Brothers, about 8 miles west of Columbia, meeting death instantly. The remains were interred at the home grave yard this morning at 11:30.
It seems that while the young man was operating this saw, on timbers 2x8x10, owing to position he adjusted the same to a timber with his right hand instead of his left, and in doing this he pulled with unusual force which caused the saw to buck or choke, thus bringing a great stress to bear upon the five ply galvanized wire rope attached to the weight which held the saw in the proper position. When this happened, the wires snapped, the weight dropped, and the whizzing saw was free to follow its own course driven at a terrific speed by the heavy machinery necessary in work of this kind. In this shape it proved a death dealing missile to the young man who had heretofore controlled its movements.
Young Holmes was standing in such a position, at the moment, that when the steel toothed monster went whirling off into space after having climbed the heavy timber, he was struck first in the left lower limb just above the knee, from whence the saw traveled almost directly through the crotch; going on, the abdomen was completely severed, the heart was cut open, while the neck, face and skull were cast asunder, as if the death dealing instrument was bound to follow some well destined course. The body was cut completely asunder from the knee up. Yet this sad accident happened in less time than the mind is capable of thinking, and the young man was called from loved ones and friends on this earth to the great beyond, we fancy, with not so much even as an inkling of realization of what was happening.
His mother was prostrated over this sad and cruel visitation of the grim reaper into her home, and has been aroused only to see for the last time the face of her loved son, Deen.
We understand that much solicitation is felt by friends of the family for her survival of the heartrending shock.
Mr. Robert C. Snell, undertaker and embalmer for the Lampton Company, who came here with his wife only a short while ago from Memphis, was given immediate charge of the body, and so intricate was the undertaking that he worked unceasingly for ten long hours preparing and embalming the remains for burial. Those who beheld the sad spectacle before and after the applications of the various methods known to the embalmer's science, assert that one who had not seen at first could not begin to realize the extent to which the body was cut and mangled, and are praising the conscientious and scientific skill of Mr. Snell, in this unusual undertaking.
Article submitted by; Shirley Fortenberry Ramshur
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