Schuchman, John & Gottloeb 'George' died 1898
SCHUCKMAN, SCHUCHMANN
Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 12/28/2013 at 10:15:37
Waterloo Daily Courier, 23 July 1898. Dateline Strawberry Point, 23 July.
Strawberry Point, July 23. – A frightful accident occurred near Volga City, in Clayton County, about 7 o'clock Thursday evening by which Gottloeb and John Schuckman, two brothers, both highly respected citizens of this County, lost their lives.
The brothers were crossing the Volga River bridge, near Volga City, with a threshing machine, and a portion of the machine had gained the opposite bank when a section of the structure gave way and precipitated the two men into the river beneath. The engine went down front foremost and after making almost a complete revolution fell upon the two men and crushed the life out of them in a frightful manner. The unfortunate men evidently believed they were safe upon the opposite pier, and opened the throttle to the widest extent, which was doubtless the cause of the accident. The bridge was an old wooden structure, and notices of its unsoundness have been posted for some years.
The two brothers who thus lost their lives were formerly in the wagon business at Volga, but failed recently. There aged father has been postmaster at St. Sebald, Clayton County, for the past 35 or 40 years. Both men had a life insurance of $2000 and $3000 in the Modern Woodman until recently, but gave it up on account of the opposition of the church to which they belonged. Gottloeb leaves a family of six children and John leaves a wife and three children. A younger brother, Fred, was working by the side of the engine at the time of the accident, but managed to save himself by grasping one of the side rods of the bridge.
The Schuckman family is one of the oldest and most highly respected in this county, and a general feeling of sorrow is manifested. The funeral will be held at St. Sebald, from the German Lutheran church on Sunday next.
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Added by Reid on 5/12/2022:
Elkader Register, Thur., 28 July 1898. Volga column.
A sad accident occurred here Thursday evening, by which George and John Schuchman lost their lives. They were crossing the covered bridge at this place, with a traction engine and the bridge being old and rotten broke through, and the engine went down carrying George and John with it. Fred Schuchman saved his life by catching on the iron rods off the bridge. The boys were formerly in the blacksmith business at this place, but for the past two years have been operating a saw mill near Communia. George leaves a wife and six children, who were living at Communia. John's family, a wife and three children, have always lived here. The bereaved families and parents have the sympathy of the entire community in their sad affliction. The funeral was held Sunday at the German Lutheran church at St. Sebald and was largely attended.
------------------Added by Joy Moore on 11/25/2020:
Source: Decorah Republican Aug. 4, 1898 P 5 C 4
—Two deaths at Volga City by the breaking down of a bridge under a threshing engine, was a direct result of not using plank as the law requires. In this case it was gross carelessness, because there were planks on the engine ready for use.
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