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<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS">Bluefield Daily Telegraph<BR>May 12,
1909</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=4>ENGINEER OYLER MEETS WITH SERIOUS
ACCIDENT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center>------</DIV>
<DIV align=center><STRONG>Right Leg Broken in Two Places, Left Arm and Several
Ribs Fractured and Bruised About Head</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left> Marshall N. Oyler, engineer on the extra
passenger train on the Dry Fork Branch, while standing on the running board of
his engine oiling the lead valve, with the engine going at its usual speed, in
some manner lost his footing and fell between the cylinder and the pilot,
breaking his right leg in two places, just above the knee and at the ankle, and
also breaking his left arm, as well as fracturing several of his ribs and
dislocating his shoulder. He was bruised and cut about the head in such a
manner that it was almost miracle that he escaped death. The accident,
which happened at Wilmore, was not discovered until the train had gone several
miles and the injured man was then hurried to Welch, where his wounds were
partially dressed. He was brought here on No. 16 last night, accompanied
part of the way by Dr. Hatfield, and taken to a local hospital. The
injured man is a brother of Mrs. W. H. Pennington, of this city, and has always
made Bluefield his home. It was the opinion of the physicians that his
injuries would not prove fatal unless unforeseen complications should
arise.</DIV>
<DIV align=center>------</DIV>
<DIV align=left>[<EM>This is another example how injured people were transported
to hospitals using regular passenger trains in the absence of ambulances in
those days. I wonder if there were any safety rules in 1909 against oiling
machinery from the running board while running at usual speed? Who was
running the engine? The fireman? Apparently Oyler was oiling on the
left side where he could not be seen by the fireman at the controls on the right
side.</EM>]</DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Script size=6>Gordon
Hamilton</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>