The Scranton Republican, Friday 9 January 1874
(Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, USA)

Accident at East Nanticoke.
 
A sad accident happened here Wednesday morning, by which a man was killed instantaneously at the No. 1 shaft, now being sunk by Mr. J. Teesdale for the Susquehanna Coal Co. It seems that the flywheel of the engine got on the center, so the engineers called for some of the workmen to come and help get it in its place. When it was started this man did not let go his hold when the others did, and was consequently dragged up very quickly into the box, when the wheel passed over the middle of his body, almost severing it. The unfortunate man, whose names was Christopher COOMBES, was a native of Cornwall, England, and was liked by all his fellow workmen. He had been working at this shaft ever since it commenced last spring.
 

Contributed by Bill Curnow