Missing Man Found After Decades: Louis Rail (abt 1798-1854)

recherche theme_1After such a busy month (ChallengeAZ 2016) and vaguely dealing with the idea of rewarding myself with well-deserved time off, I—guess what?—ended up on the Web. I then realized that the Holy Family Parish records for Cahokia, St. Clair County, Illinois were available on Family Search. For those unfamiliar with the area, Cahokia and St. Louis, Missouri almost face each other across the Mississippi River. Continue reading

Newspaper Nuggets: “Fatal Accident at Shelburn”, featuring Joseph S. Germain

Tombstone of Joseph S. Germain, St. Marys Cemetery, Brandon, Vermont [From Diane Tourville's collection]

Tombstone of Joseph S. Germain, St. Marys Cemetery, Brandon, Vermont [From Diane Tourville’s collection]

Burlington Weekly Free Press, April 27, 1888, page 2


FATAL ACCIDENT AT SHELBURN

A Brakeman has Both Legs Cut off by a 
Train — His Injuries Fatal.

While the freight train which left Burlington at 3 o’clock Monday morning was shifting on a side track at Shelburn, Joseph S. Germain, a brakeman, slipped under the cars and had both legs cut off just above the knee. Part of the train was being backed, and two cars and the tender passed over the unfortunate man, but his cries were heard and the engine was stopped just before its hind wheels reached him. He was taken into the depot and Dr. Stoddard was summoned. It was decided to bring him to the Mary Fletcher hospital, and the train accordingly backed to this city, arriving about 4:30 o’clock. Continue reading