Scaffolding at Edgerton’s school building collapsed during construction, injuring seven workers. In 1867, this two-story school building was constructed at the southeast corner of Elm and Bement streets. The 40- by 70-foot structure contained four rooms.
An Edgerton correspondent submitted the following account of the accident to the Bryan Union Press newspaper:
“One of the saddest calamities that ever happened in our village occurred on Monday afternoon, November fourth.
“One of the saddest calamities that ever happened in our village occurred on Monday afternoon, November fourth.
“The scene of the disaster was the brick schoolhouse now in process of erection. The carpenters were putting up the rafters, and had too much weight on the staging when it gave way and precipitated seven men in the ruins of falling lumber and broken timber.
“Henry Stakely fell from the rafters to the ground without receiving any injuries. Isaac Gnagy was caught between the timbers and received injuries. His spine is injured and his lower limbs are perfectly paralyzed and not any hopes that he ever will have any use of them, if he should recover. He is otherwise injured, but his internal injuries are supposed to be slight. He has a wife and one child. Hartzel Wannemaker also fell from the top of the building to the ground, striking on the sleepers and breaking his lower jaw in two places and otherwise injuring himself, but it is supposed he will recover. Isaac Skelton had his arm very badly bruised but no bones broken. John Darkus received some slight bruises but is able to be around. David Strole had his head bruised considerable and other bruises on his body and limbs, but no bones broken. Peter Rex received some severe bruises when he fell and is not able to be around.
“These persons fell from 30 to 40 feet with the exception of Mr. Gnagy who caught at upper joists in the timbers, and it seems almost miraculous how anyone escaped with their lives. The citizens heard the crash and turned out and soon relieved the wounded men from the ruins. The walls of the building are still standing, but some of the timbers are broken and will have to be replaced. One of the large plates across the top of the building was broken.
“Dr. Long of Bryan and Drs. Hathaway, Scribner and Townsend of this place have been in attendance on the wounded.”
In 1871, an Edgerton correspondent to the Bryan Press newspaper reported, “We perform the painful duty of chronicling the death of Mr. I. Gnagy, who died last Wednesday, June 7th. He was hurt almost four years ago by a scaffold giving way whilst at work upon the schoolhouse in this place, since which time he has been bedfast and has suffered almost unutterable pain and anguish, yet he has never been heard to utter one syllable of complaint.”
This colorized vintage image of students posing in front of the former Edgerton school, shared by Richard L. Cooley, is from the April 18, 1940, issue of the Edgerton Earth newspaper.
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