- 1912, Thursday June 20, The Ottawa Journal, front page
Instantly Killed In Elevator Thirteen Year old Boy Meets Horrible Death
Was Employed in St Luke's Hospital Body of Grant Young Found Wedged Between
Elevator Floor and a beam in Building - Had Only Been Employed for Five Days.
"Good By Grant; now take care of yourself" said a fond mother, Mrs A.N. Young of 97 Frank street about five minutes to eight as her fourteen year old son, William Grant Young left his home this morning to go to work at St Luke's Hospital where he works as elevator operator. Shortly after he was the victim of a terrible tragedy there, as a result of which he got caught in the elevator shaft, was dragged upwards, and his neck broken. Hospital employes a few moments later were horrified to see the body hanging outside of the elevator shaft but clear of the floor, and with the head jammed tightly between the beam overhead and the flooring of the elevator, which had shot upwards. So is came about that in less than an hour from the time he had left home, a sad-eyed mother was called to the hospital, within sight of her home, where she found her son dead. Death was apparently instantaneous. There were no other marks on the body, and the face is not disfigured. The body was taken to Rogers undertaking rooms, Bank street, and, after the ususal enquires, will be moved to the family residence and on Saturday will be taken to Almonte for interment. The shock was a keen one to the father, Mr Alex N. Young, distribution clerk in the Geological Survey Library. Besides the parents there is one child, Donald, about five or six years of age.
No One Saw It.
The unfortunate little chap would have been fourteen years old next week. He was a favourite with the Collegiate Institute pupils and with the Boy Scouts connected with Westminister Presbyterian Church, where the family attended. Dr Robinson, medical superintendent at the hospital, showed The Journal where the accident occurred and was most courteous. He said the boy had been there about a week and could run the elevator well and seemed to be getting on alright. "No one actually saw the accident," said he, "But Edward Coffey, the man who attends the furnace was on the basement floor a few minutes after eight, when he noticed the elevator had gone up several feet and saw the boy's body hanging there. On the bottom of the elevator is a strip of iron about 5 feet in length, 2 inches wide and quarter of inch thick - of course, fastened on to hold the flooring together. Coroner Baptie has ordered a inquest. The body will be viewed this afternoon, and then likely some dte set for hearing formal evidence. While apparently death was due to an accident, the jurors will probably have some questions to ask as to the boy's age and whether one so young should have been allowed to have anything to do with an elevator in a public hospital.
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