A Serious Accident (John McSpadden)

[genealogynut]

Howard Courant
July 17, 1930

From the Moline Advance, 10th; John McSpadden was seriously injured Tuesday morning when the truck he was driving was struck by the eastbound 10:00 o'clock passenger train at the crossing by the round house at the southwest corner of town. John was going to the O.R. Ames wheat field to get a load of wheat from the threshing machine.  He was in a hurry, coming from the west and turned south over the track.  Just before he got on the track he leaped from the cab and would have escaped, had not the locomotive struck the truck and thrown it on him.  He was brought to the Dr. Shaffer's office in Moline at once, where first aid was given and then he was taken in the Chas. F. Rarick ambulance to Mercy hospital in Independence accompanied by the doctor and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. W. McSpadden.

It was found that his skull was crushed in, his knee cap shattered, his foot and ankle crushed and numerous and various parts of the body were cut and bruised.

His injuries were cared for by the Moline surgeon, thirteen slivers of bone were taken from the head wound and all that scientific care could do, was done for the patient.  He came out from under the influence of the anesthetic in good condition and up to the present is doing well. He will be in a critical conidtion for several days yet, but he has a chance to recover.