Two Of 12 Women Injured In Me. Elevator Drop Are Dead

Dover-Foxcroft, Me., Dec. 12 (AP)--Two of 12 women employes[sic] injured yesterday when an elevator dropped 35 feet in the American Woolen Company's Brown mill died today in a hospital.

The dead were: Mrs. Lizzie Wyman, 68, who suffered a fractured skull, broken neck and two compound fractures of the legs, and Miss Addie Burdin, 62, who had two skull fractures, back injuries and compound fractures of both legs.

Eleven of the women suffered fractures of at least one leg, and some other more serious injuries.

Officials attributed most of the injuries to the fact that the cables, cable-drum and supporting framework, weighing altogether about 500 pounds, crashed through the car roof after it had fallen from the third floor to the bottom of the well yesterday.

The women were pinned to the car floor by the mass of steel and wreckage of the wooden roof and it was more than and hour before all could be extricated.

In critical condition at hospitals here and in Bangor were:

Mrs. Gladys Brawn, 39, whose back and both legs were broken;
Miss Janice Collins, 20, compound fractures of both legs and lacerated scalp;

Mrs. Blanche Foss, elevator operator who jumped to the third floor as the car began to fall, said she "heard something break overhead" as the elevator neared the fourth floor. She escaped with bruises and a severe shaking up.

Superintendent Frank Smith said the elevator had been "in fine working condition," and could not understand what caused the accident.

Nashua Telegraph, Nashua, NH 12 Dec 1946
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!