Summer 1942 - The Accident

Jim Waning at Sacred Heart Hospital - 1942 

On June 22, 1942, an accident in the woods dramatically changed life for Jim and Margaret Waning, and their young daughter, Barbara.

Barbara - Summer 1942

With the D-8 Caterpillar engine running, Jim went to make an equipment adjustment.  Jim stood between the radiator grill and the blade on the front of the Cat to adjust the clutch on the cable drum that raised and lowered the blade.  Somehow the lever (located near the rear of the Cat), which operated the clutch, moved, causing the clutch to engage, and the blade to raise; thus crushing Jim against the Cat.  

Logging Arch and Cat above Walterville

With a severely crushed pelvis there was doubt whether Jim might walk again.  He spent over 14 weeks in the hospital - much of that time in traction.  He was put in traction because Dr Dale had read about patients in Europe being treated with traction - rather than being operated upon.  In traction the muscles relaxed and the bones moved back into place.  It was a new and novel method of treatment.  It took weeks before the treatment took and the healing began.  Jim bided his time in traction re-reading his High School math books. He was determined to walk, and amazingly, left Sacred Heart in early October with only a small limp as a reminder of his injuries.

    

Card Front

Card Inside

We are fortunate to have numerous card and letters documenting Jim's slow and steady recovery.