Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1882 — A HORRIBLE DEATH. [ARTICLE]

A HORRIBLE DEATH.

Capt. James Anderson, of the Schooner Benson, the Victim of a Shocking Accident. While Timber Is Being Loaded, the Grip Slips, Catches the Captain’s Head, and Pulls It Off. Capt. James Anderson, a navigator well known < n the Northern lakes, was recently the victim of a most horrible accident The schooner Benson, of which" Capt. Anderson was commander, had gone to Lake Superior for a cargo of timber, she and two or three other craft being towed by the tug Metamora. The tow arrived safely at the camp on Serpent river, and the work of loading commenced. On the second day after arrival, while the timber was being put aboard the Benson, the accident occurred, and the hornbie death of Capt Anderson was the result. Great iron grips are used to draw the huge, heavy, slippery sticks of timber into the vessel. In some way these grips slipped when Capt. Anderson was standing by, and, living up, caught the Captain by the head and literally tore his head off. The sight was a eckening and horrible one, and the accident cast a gloom over the entire camp, and especially over the crew of the Benson. The hardy sailors, some of whom had been through the war ashore and afloat, ssid they never witnessed anything so terrible, and certainly hoped they never would again. What made it more terrible was that a second before the Captain in robust heilth, a whole-souled, largehearted, good-natured friend, talking in his joeuhr way with the men. When the latter heard the grip slip, saw the body slung twenty or thirty feet and the head remain in str ngs in the fearful teeth of the horrible tool, it was mere than they could stand. They shuddered, sickened and shed tears. No more work was done on board the Benson that day. The decapitated body and the head and fragments were dressed as well as possible by an under aker, and forwarded by boat and rail to the fam ly at Port Dalnousie—a most dreadful ca:- ket, certainly. C <pt. Anderson had hosts of friends, and was highly esteemel generally. II; had been connected with the firm of Burton & Co., Bmij, for many year-.