Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 January 1875 — Unfortunate Coasters. [ARTICLE]

Unfortunate Coasters.

William B. Chandler, merchant, aged thirty-five; Arthur Shirley, district school-teacher, aged forty, and several other residents of Whitesboro, were seriously injured last evening while coasting down the Hampton Hill road. From time immemorial this road has been the most tempting coasting route in the vicinity of Whitestown. The length of the coasting ground is about three-quarters of a mile. The road crosses the Erie Canal over an iron bridge but a short distance from the main street of Whitesboro. The coasting vehicle is a joint stock concern, in which the old and young men of the village are equally interested. It consists of a pair of light bob-sleighs connected together by a plank sixteen feet in length. The steersman of the craft lies upon the plank and directs its course by moving the forward bob with his hands. The remainder of the load sit upon the plank “spoon fashion” to the number of twenty-five or thirty, and wjth a'load like this the Hampton Hill coasters ride over the three-quarters of a mile from the top of the route to Main street in forty seconds. Everything depends upon the steersman who handles the forward bob. Numberless accidents have occurred to persons enjoying this sport, but last night’s accident is the most serious upon record. The coasting route was flooded yesterday, and its surface Was like a sheet of silver. About 6:30 p. m. twenty-three men, nearly all over the age of thirty, got upon the bobs. W. B. Chandler was steering, and the others occupied places behind him. About half way down the hill, just when the vehicle was moving with the velocity of the wind, the king-bolt of the steering bob broke and Chandler lost control of the sleigh. The sleigh collided with the eastern abutment of the iron bridge, and the whole load was thrown forward with tremendous force. Mr. Chandler had his collar-bone broken, his right ear was almost torn from his head, his left leg was hurt, and he is suffering from severe internal injuries. He was carried home and attended by Dr. James. Arthur Shirley, teacher of the district school and son of Trustee Shirley, had his left leg broken above the knee and was badly bruised. Drs. Baker and James cared for him. John Haynes suffered the most complicated injuries. His left leg was broken in three places, once below the knee and twice above it. Of the twenty others, William Cole and Charles Williams were bruised about the limbs and Michael Landers suffers about the ribs. The remainder of the load narrowly escaped falling into the canal.— Utica (V. K.J Herald. —A man died in Venango County, Pa., recently, after having been confined to hi| bed for thirteen years with disease of the spine, caused by severe punishment received from a school-teacher when he was a boy.