Isle of Wight County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Newspapers.....Explosion, 1932 

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GALE'S MILL EXPLOSION 
 KILLS ONE COLORED MAN 
     ___ 

Charles Cheatham Victim of Accident in Isle of Wight; 
Another Injured. 
     ___ 

  Charles Cheatam, [sic] negro, was instantly killed Monday afternoon, and 
Sidney Parham, also a negro, was seriously hurt when the boiler to a saw mill 
operated by W.H. Gayle, at Sycamore Cross, in Isle of Wight county, about 13 
miles from Smithfield, exploded, scattering the mill house and machinery in 
every direction.  Charley Ramsey ;white, who was in an automobile near the 
mill, barely escaped death or serious injury when his car was struck by a 
flying piece of the machinery. 

  Drs. Rea Parker and Hugh Warren, of Smithfield, were summoned at once to 
the aid of the injured man. 

  The water became low in the boiler, it was stated, and too much cold water 
was turned in; causing the disaster. 

  Mr. Gayle at the time of the accident was in Surry county, looking after the 
moving of some lumber. 

  The mill was practically wrecked by the explosion. 



"GALE'S* MILL EXPLOSION KILLS ONE COLORED MAN" 
fatal boiler explosion, 21 Mar 1932, Sycamore Cross, 
"The Smithfield (VA) Times," Mar. 24, 1932, p. 1, col. 1 

*Additional information: 

Though often spelled GALE, GAYLE is proper.  William H. GAYLE, a Confederate 
   veteran (I/3rd Va.Inf.) is buried in Ivy Hill Cemetery, Smithfield. 
   Isle of Wight County Historical Society {IWCHS} 
   Grave Site Survey Task Force {GSSTF} #48: 
   http://www.iwchs.com/Cemetery-Reports.html 

no death certificate was found for Charles CHEATHAM. 

Sycamore Cross (or Crossroads) is at the intersection {formerly a proper 
   crossroad} of Mill Swamp Rd. & Sycamore Cross Dr.  It was the site of a 
   post office - called McClelland's for merchant & postmaster William Henry 
   "Harry" McClelland - from 1886 to 1917. 
   (Helen Haverty King, et al. 
    "Historical Notes on Isle of Wight County, Virginia." 
    Isle of Wight: Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors, 1993. 
    pp. 331, 460) 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/news/19320324st.txt