John Stong

STONG

Posted By: Volunteer - Rich Lowe
Date: 10/20/2001 at 05:33:14

News Item - Birmingham Enterprise 12-11-1879
Lick Creek

A very sad accident occurred at Centerville last Monday evening a week ago. John Stong, who has been working in the coal bank at that place, was instantly killed by the falling of a stratum of slate upon him. He had finished his day's work and was sitting in the bank under the slate reef, talking with the proprietor, and remarked that it was not very safe to remain there under the unfinished portion of the bank, when all of a sudden the mass broke loose from its moorings above and crushed him to death instantly. The slate had to be pried off of him before his body could be removed. The proprietor of the coal bank was slightly injured by some of the falling particles striking him. He would have been crushed also, had he been under the main reef.

About three weeks previous to this accident, Mr. Stong's second son died very suddenly, it is supposed, from heart disease. He had been out hunting in the rain and got wet. When he came home in the evening, he complained of his stomach hurting him. His elder brother came in from down in town, with and apple for each of the family. The brother, deceased, ate his apple, and immediately complained of his stomach, where upon, his father gave him a dose of Assafortda; he told his father it was doing him no good, and laying down on the bed, was dead in less than 15 minutes. John Stong was a brother of our merchant at Kilbourne -- Jacob Stong -- and was formerly of this county.

------------
I am NOT related and am posting this article for those who may find this person in their family history.