The Heritage Corner, Springhill Record
September 2, 2009
September 2, 2009– Fatal Accident
From the Springhill Record June 13, 1959
Accident Fatal to John Gordon Hoeg
John Gordon Hoeg, 7–year–old adopted son of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Hoeg, died in All Saints Hospital Wednesday morning at 6:30, following a highway accident on Monday. Death said Dr. Arnold Burden, was attributed to profound shock, crushing chest injuries, multiple fractures, internal haemorrhage and a fractured pelvis.
Investigating the accident Wednesday afternoon, a coroner’s jury under Dr. Henry Myers, and composed of foreman Roach McKay, Ed Green, Frank Hunter, Ronald Porter, Walter Rushton, Bob Smith, Wylie Gilbert, Douglas Ellis, Sterling Porter, James Meekins, Roy Belliveau and Dan Adams, exonerated the driver of the truck, Elmer Austin, from any blame in the child’s death.
Give Evidence Dave Churchill, describing the accident, told the jury that he heard a woman scream, turned and saw the child lying on the road, picked him up and rushed him to the Hospital Monday morning about 9:30. The accident happened on Crossin Street between McFarlane and Church Streets.
Bamford Adams told the Jury that he saw the boy sitting on the running board of the ice truck when it passed his house. He was holding on by his hands. This was a minute or two before the accident.
Elmer Austin, driver of the ice truck, said that he had stopped the truck up the street to deliver ice when he looked back and saw a commotion. Driving along the street he said he felt a bump, and even opened his door to look out but saw nothing. (The boy had been riding on the opposite side of the truck.) When he felt the bump he thought he had hit a rock or deep rut. When he got back to the scene someone was picking the child up. He had not seen him around the truck at any time.
Chief of Police Leo MacDonald told the jury of getting a call from the Hospital and seeing the boy there. With Deputy Chief Bonnyman he visited the scene of the accident and made a sketch. He tested the truck and found it in good mechanical condition. In answer to a question he said that Mr. Austin had no previous convictions against him.
In other news : Town workers gave a fresh coat of paint to the parking meter stands this week. The silver job on the insides of the meter will continue to be left to the motoring public. Police are still keeping a pretty close check to make sure that all drivers do that job.
An early morning fire of unknown origin Sunday gutted the James Boran home on Harrison Ave. None of the contents of the residence were salvaged. By the time the firemen arrived on the scene about half of the structure was, in the words of an official of the Department “A roaring furnace that seemed to have been going for some time.”
When Fire Chief Crawford arrived he was informed that Mr. Boran was in bed upstairs in the storey and a half home. With the aid of a smoke mask, the Chief succeeded in getting upstairs, only to find it unoccupied. Apparently Mr. Boran had left home to join his family at the shore.
It is understood that the loss was partly covered by insurance.
Mine Accidents:
John Tabor – 13,800 wall, No. 2, June 6 th. Coal fell from face, inflicting puncture wound to right shin and bruising and swelling to left instep.
Gerald Legere – 13,000 wall, No. 2, June 7 th. Block fell from pack, striking fourth finger of left hand and causing bruising and swelling.
Lewis Fraser – 13,400, No. 2, June 5 th - Kinked lower back while building pack.
Amos Gogan - 13,400 wall, No. 2, June 5 th - Strained lower back while lifting lump of coal unto pans.
Darrell Casey – 12,600 wall, No. 2, June 7 th – Box jumped road and struck right foot. Instep was x-rayed but he was not hospitalized.
Coal Output: With No. 2 mine working a full five days for the week ending June 8 th, output rose to 8,865 tons. This was an increase of 599 tons over the previous week when the mines operated only four and a half days.
Hail Saturday: The Town had its first hail storm on Saturday about 4:30 p.m. However it didn’t last long. For a time it looked like an early winter.
