1885 - Jolley Cut Runaway

On Saturday, August 22, 1885, a young couple, the Shedlers, with their young son, were driving from their farm south of Mount Albion to the city for groceries.

Coming down the Jolley Cut, the bridle on the horse pulling them in a small wagon, came off and the horse became unmanageable, it it ran away :"Down the road it dashed like an arrow until the low stone wall in rear of the grounds of Thos. Robertson, M. P., was reached. The wagon struck this wall and the man, woman and child were hurled over it."

 "Down the Jolley Cut : A Man and Woman Injured by a Runaway Accident"

Hamilton Spectator. August 24, 1885.

The whole group came to grief in the area of Rock Castle. Along the Jolley Cut, on the north side was a low stone wall

"preventing'' anything rolling off the road and down but the Shedlers had been thrown from the out of control wagon, and over the wall:

“It was a frightful fall. The ground on the north side of the wall is about 15 feet lower than the road, and the three Shedlers were thrown forward fully 30 feet before they reached the ground.

“Mrs. Shedler clung to her child, and the little fellow fell on her and escaped without even a bruise; but the mother had her wrist badly bruised and her back severely strained.

“Mr. Shedler, however was the only one of the three who was badly injured. He lay on the grass suffering horribly and unable to move. The police patrol wagon speedily arrived and the suffering man was lifted into it on a stretcher and was driven to Mat High’s hotel, where he was made as comfortable as possible, and had his injuries attended to by Dr. Griffin. His right shoulder was smashed frightfully and the collar bone was broken. Two of his ribs were also fractured and his back received a bad strain. It is likely that Shedler will recover, but he will have to lie where he is for a considerable time.

“The horse was not injured, but the wagon was badly broken up."

The Spectator concluded its account of the accident with the following observation and recommendation :

“It is fortunate the Shedlers fell on the soft turf. There are in the vicinity several tree stumps and an old stone tomb; if they had fallen on these, it is likely that they would have been killed.

“And now it is time to add a foot or two to the height of this old stone wall.”