Hay wagons may seem like part of a quaint past time, but in reality hay wagons were dangerous. In fact, a quick search through the newspaper archives reveals numerous accidents involving hay wagons.
Hi everyone, this is Elizabeth from Strange Ago and, as mentioned in a previous article, we are going to take a look at just how deadly hay wagons could be.
1. A Very Bad Day
But first, before we get into any of the deadly accidents involving hay wagons, let’s take a look at one gentleman who had a very bad day back in 1887, Kentucky.
“[Mr. E.B. Bush] was in the midst of haying with two mowing machines in operation. One broke down, and while he was away getting it repaired the other gave out. He returned just in time to suffer a partial sunstroke while in the field. He was placed upon a load of hay to be carried to his house. While on the way the load was tipped over and Mr. Bush was thrown against a rail fence, suffering severe injuries about the chest. He was put upon another load of hay and after getting onto the highway going to the house a carriage was met, one wheel of which gave way before the heavier one of the hay wagon. Without further accident, Mr. Bush arrived home and has now nearly recovered from the event of that unlucky day.” [Source]
2. Crushed Head
While Mr. Bush survived his extremely bad day, this next man wasn’t so fortunate.
David Morton, age 29, was visiting a ranch in 1922 when things went terribly wrong. According to the article:
“Courageously trying to stop a runaway team, David Morton… was crushed to death near here late yesterday afternoon when he was thrown under the wheels of a heavy hay wagon.
“According to evidence brought out by the coroner’s inquest, young Morton was a visitor at the Thompson ranch. Yesterday he went with Mr. Thompson to gather hay. A wagonload gathered and they started out of the field. Young Morton walked along beside the wagon and team.
“A rut in the road caused the wagon to skid and the hay, slipping suddenly, careened off the wagon rack. This frightened the team, which bolted. Morton, sensing the danger of Thompson unless the runaway was stopped, leaped in front of the horses and seized them by the bridle reins.
“For a moment he swung all his weight on the reins, like a cowboy ‘bulldogging’ a steer, but a sudden wrench of one of the horse’s head hurled him off and he was thrown under their clattering feet and the wheels of the wagon. His head was crushed, his body internally injured.
“In spite of the medical aid rushed to him, he died very shortly after the accident.” [Source]
3. Engine Smashes Hay Wagon
Sometimes it wasn’t the hay wagon itself that caused injuries. Such as in 1909, Pennsylvania, when a group of people were enjoying a hay ride to a corn roast.
“Nineteen persons were severely injured, two probably fatally, last night when the hay wagon in which they were being taken to a corn roast was struck by a freight engine… Dorothy Henderson and Edna Snively… were caught in the upset wagon and dragged a great distance. Both were injured internally, and their condition is critical. The seventeen others, all young men and women, were painfully cut and bruised.” [Source]
4. Runaway Horses
Out of control horses seem to have been the main cause of most of the reported hay wagon accidents, such as this event that happened in Connecticut, 1912:
“A serious runaway accident occurred at the foot of the steep hill at Lake Avenue… when the horses attached to Joseph G. Abbott’s hay wagon ran into a team driven by William H. Barber, throwing Mr. Barber and his daughter… out upon the roadway.
“Mr. Barber escaped injury, but his daughter was seriously injured about the head and body. Mr. Abbott was driving the hay wagon at the time of the accident, and the entire load of hay fell upon him, nearly suffocating him before he could extricate himself from the hay.” [Source]
5. Fatal Accident
Children, of course, were always in danger around hay wagons, and while I found a large number of reports involving kids and hay wagons, I am only going to cover one of these stories.
From out of North Dakota, 1908:
“A very distressing accident occurred at the Tammen home… which resulted in the instant death of Mr. and Mrs. Tammen’s nine-year-old son, Johnny. An older brother had hitched up a team to a wagon to go into the field to get a load of straw and had told Johnny that he didn’t want him to go along and had started the team off on a trot, but it seems that Johnny attempted to catch on to the moving wagon. [His] brother didn’t see him until both wheels had passed over his head. The wagon struck his head just behind the ears and passed over the temple, and it is thought that death was instantaneous. Tom Brakel, who was passing by on the road near by, saw the accident and drove into town for [the doctor], who went out only to find that the boy’s life had gone out.” [Source]
