Shields, Patrick 1863 - 1902

SHIELDS

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 5/22/2024 at 16:07:26

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Jan. 24, 1902, FP, C4

Pat Shields who was at work in a logging camp at Deer Wood, Minn., was crushed between two watering tanks and instantly killed Monday. Not being snow enough to haul logs it was necessary to sprinkle water upon the roads, this becoming frozen in a short time, making the roads better for hauling. Mr. Shields was driving on one of the tanks, and his team becoming frightened ran away, throwing him in some way between two moving tanks, and before assistance could be given him, life extinct. His remains were brought to Cresco for burial the funeral being held Wednesday afternoon from the catholic church. Deceased was unmarried and leaves a mother and two sisters and two brothers who reside in Howard Center.

Transcriber’s Note: Calvary Cresco Cemetery records indicate he was born in 1863.

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Jan. 28, 1902, FP, C7

Death of Patrick Shields
On Sunday, Jan. 19th, Patrick Shields and Gilbert Johnson were each hauling a water tank on the main logging road of the Pine Tree Lumber Company’s headquarters camp at Deerwood. Each party had a four horse team, and loaded the water tanks on a small lake near the logging road. Patrick Shields had a helper by the name of Cernel Sogge and Gilbert Johnson had a helper by the name of Joseph Goodman.
About 4:45 in the afternoon when Patrick Shields was coming on the logging road towards the camp and nearing the little lake where they loaded their tanks, stopped his team and walked ahead a short distance to speak to Gilbert Johnson who was just coming off of the lake with a loaded tank onto the main logging road, Mr. Shields’ team being headed in the same direction as Mr. Johnson’s tea, started to run when Mr. Johnson drove out on the main logging road, and Mr. Shields being near Mr. Johnson’s water tank stepped around to the side of the tank to stop his horses as they came up, and attempted to run by the tank. In attempting to get hold of the horses or lines he was caught between the two tanks as they collided, the horses being to one side of the forward tank. As the force with which the two tanks collided was very great and as Mr. Shields sustained quite a portion of this force and was in all probability rolled to some extent between the two tanks before the tanks were stopped, death was caused almost immediately.
The only parties who witnessed the accident were Gilbert Johnson the driver of one of the tanks, and his helper, Joseph Goodman, who was on the tank with him, and the helper of Patrick Shields, who was behind Shields’ tank and did not see the tanks come together, but was on the ground at the time.
Mr. Shields was on his way to the camp with his team, and intended to let the other team go ahead of him, and for that reason had stopped his team, and for some reason not known to the other parties stepped ahead of his team to speak to Mr. Johnson when Mr. Johnson drove off the lake onto the main logging road.
The accident was not the result of any carelessness of any of the parties who were on the ground, all being engaged in their regular work connected with icing the road.
The team which Mr. Shields was driving was a young team and somewhat high lived, and it was probably an oversight of Mr. Shields to let the team stand in the manner he did, but in the woods all teamsters are in the habit of doing this, and it is a very unusual thing for a four horse team to start on a run while attached to a logging sled or a water tank sled, and it is probably on this account that Mr. Shields let the horses stand in the manner he did.

Calvary Cresco Cemetery
 

Howard Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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