Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
Tuesday Sept. 7, 1830

Claiborne, Alabama July 22

Dreadful Accident. On Tuesday, the 6th inst., in the county of Wilcox, happened one of those horrid catastrophes which are terrible to relate. The circumstances as related to us were these: There stood a hollow tree in the yard of a Mr. Dunham, whose children were in the daily habit of sheltering themselves in its capacious trunk. On the day above mentioned, there came up a severe thunderstorm, and three of the children, as usual, took shelter from the raging elements in the hollow of the tree. They had not been there long before the gale grew stronger and blew down the tree, which instantly killed one of the children, and the two others were taken out mangled in a most shocking manner, one of whom died of his wounds in a day or tow – the other has recovered, having one of his legs broken to atoms from its knee down. A caution to fathers to protect their families from unsound trees! 

[Submitted by Nancy Piper]

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