My grandmother Anna (Imprescia) Carbone tells her recollection of her Aunt Concetta from stories passed down from her parents and grandparents. She was 97 years old when this was recorded on February 8th, 2008.
In prior post I tried to track down The Legend of Dominic and Anna Impresica and their 17 Children and found 11 children documented as births while they lived in Italy. When Dominic and Anna immigrated to the United States in 1906, only three children were still alive, my great-grandfather Filippo who would have been 26 years old at that time, Maria Vincenzo who would have been 23 years old and the youngest daughter Concetta who was 12 years old when she arrived.
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Concetta Imprescia Circa 1908 |
By August 1908 the complete Imprescia family was in Massachusetts.
Dominic Imprescia - 3 Middle Street Lane, Fitchburg, Massachusetts
- Anna (Viola) Imprescia - wife
- Filippo Imprescia - son
- Filippa (Siciliano) Imprescia - daughter-in-law
- Concetta Imprescia- daughter
Salvatore Costa - 471 Hanover Street, Boston, Massachusetts
- Maria Vincenza (Imprescia) Costa - wife
- Anthony Costa - son
- Lena (Maria) Costa - daughter
Concetta the much younger sister of Filippo and Maria Vincenza, enrolled in school in 1906 and by 1908 she was able to read and write in English. But June of 1908 would be her last year of school, in July she was employed at Star Worsted Wood in Fitchburg as a spinner.
One month into her job, tragedy struck. Here is the scan of the original Fitchburg Sentinel story, but I have transcribed below. They have identified Concetta as Concettino and incorrectly indicate she is their only child:
Fitchburg Sentinel (Fitchburg, MA)
August 26, 1908
KILLED JUST BEFORE QUITTING WORK FOR THE DAY.
Young Italian Girl Caught in Shafting at Star Worsted Mill and Fatally Injured Before Machinery Could Be Stopped.
Caught by an empty coat sleeve in the shafting of a spinning frame at the Star Worsted Mill on Sheldon Street Tuesday night just before the whistle blows for 6 o'clock. Concettino Imprescia aged about 15 years, daughter of Mr and Mrs Domenico Imprescia, 3 Middle Street Lane, was literally pounded to death on the contact with the machine and the floor upon which her body fatally landed. The death came about 20 minutes after the incident with her battered body was stretched out on the floor of the mill with the section hands, overseers and fellow employees powerless to aid her or to even relieve her suffering although willing and anxious to assist.
The young girl who came to work in the mill according to the books kept by Smith Bateman, overseer of the spinning department, on July 7 of this year, was the only daughter of a hardworking Italian couple who reside at 3 Middle Street Lane. The girl was the pride of the family and was well known throughout the Italian colony. Her pretty face and bright appearance made her a favorite with all her country people and others who came in contact with her at work. She was engaged as assistant spinner working on the frames over which Elzeau Goguen of 50 Main Street had charge. She was not afraid to work but like all others employed in the room was in the habit of getting ready to go home just as soon as the closing whistle announced 6 o’clock.
Away from her mother and father all day, the little girl was over anxious to get out of the busy spinning room and so when the clock drew near 6 o’clock she became anxious to cease her toil and speed towards the warm supper and cordial welcome she knew awaited her in her little home on Middle Street Lane. But while anxious to get out, she did not neglect her work tending to the loom right up to the final moment. In her anxiety to be ready for home she took her coat and started to put it on. Slipping the left arm through the light-colored jacket she wore over her working dress, she stead the machine with her right hand keeping the little wheel which would stop it motion in easy reach. Three more minutes were before her and alert stood there, one arm in the coat sleeve and the right hand on the lever which controlled the machine. Elzeau Gougen section hand of that part of the room, stood 10 feet away from the frame with his back to the girl. Other employees stood to the right of her to the front and rear, all like herself intent on hearing the whistle. Suddenly like a flash of lightening the swinging coat sleeve, dangling at the right side of the girl became tangled in the shafting of the frame which revolved almost 18 inches from the floor.
On this shafting ran a little 1 1/4 inch belt to a pully which controlled the motive power of the spinner. The shafting went around with about 400 revolutions per minute and instantly the child was wound around the revolving shaft. The belt slipped from the shafting but the roughness of the steel shaft combined with the amount of the cloth already wrapped around the shafting was sufficient to hold the girl and as it swiftly revolved the girl was thrown around with it. Her body was whirled through the air, striking the spinning frame and also thumping on the floor.
Mr. Gougen heard her screams which were echoed in horror by all the other employees in the room and he turned like a flash to see what happened. Realizing the danger, he sprang over her revolving body and turned the wheel which controlled the spinner. In a moment the huge machine came to a standstill and the girl was released from its fatal clutch. Smith Bateman overseer of the room came up from the rear of the spinning room took in the situation at a glance.
He made for the office telephone but the office was closed and he had to run to a house across the street, where he ordered a carriage at once. He returned to the mill, but seeing the little girl was dangerous, if not fatally injured, he returned to the phone and summoned the Burbank hospital ambulance. It arrived at 6:27, but the girl had died just 10 minutes before, Medical Examiner Frederick H. Thompson was notified and quickly arrived on the scene. He ordered the body be turned over to the Undertaker John R. Smith, who arrived a short time afterwards and removed it to his rooms at 181 Water Street.
Chief of Police D.W. Tinsley and Officer Chadwick who came to the mill soon after the accident, took charge of the situation till the medical examiner had arrived and the body turned over to the undertaker. It was fortunate that they were there as the parents and friends of the dead girl began to arrive just before 7 o’clock. Word had been sent them that their child or “baby”, as they called her had been killed and the news traveled through the Italian colony with wonderful quickness. Fully 20 Italian speaking people followed the mother and father from their home on Middle Street to the mill, and as the grief stricken procession wounded its way through the crowded thoroughfare, the sigh was most pathetic .
The grief of the heart broken parents was most pitiful. At the mill when they learned that the girl had passed away, their grief broke out with renewed force and for a moment it looked as if they lost complete control of themselves. Chief Tinsley and Officer Chadwick did their best to comfort them and ordered a carriage to remove them to their home. When it arrived the parents and friends, as many as could, went home to prepare for the arrival of the body. Even those whose round of duty bring them in contact with such scenes, were deeply affected by the grief of the parents, whose only child had been taken from them.
Medical Examiner Frederick H. Thompson, Sr. viewed the body at John R. Smith’s this morning, giving primary cause of death, fracture of the skull and injury of the brain and multiple fractures. The contributory cause was shock and hemorrhage. The examination also showed that the left arm was broken, but otherwise the arms, hands and body escaped being even bruised, all the injury being in the head.
The funeral will be held this afternoon, from Undertaker Smith’s rooms, with services at St. Anthony’s church. The internment will be in St. Bernard’s cemetery.
The young girl who came to work in the mill according to the books kept by Smith Bateman, overseer of the spinning department, on July 7 of this year, was the only daughter of a hardworking Italian couple who reside at 3 Middle Street Lane. The girl was the pride of the family and was well known throughout the Italian colony. Her pretty face and bright appearance made her a favorite with all her country people and others who came in contact with her at work. She was engaged as assistant spinner working on the frames over which Elzeau Goguen of 50 Main Street had charge. She was not afraid to work but like all others employed in the room was in the habit of getting ready to go home just as soon as the closing whistle announced 6 o’clock.
Away from her mother and father all day, the little girl was over anxious to get out of the busy spinning room and so when the clock drew near 6 o’clock she became anxious to cease her toil and speed towards the warm supper and cordial welcome she knew awaited her in her little home on Middle Street Lane. But while anxious to get out, she did not neglect her work tending to the loom right up to the final moment. In her anxiety to be ready for home she took her coat and started to put it on. Slipping the left arm through the light-colored jacket she wore over her working dress, she stead the machine with her right hand keeping the little wheel which would stop it motion in easy reach. Three more minutes were before her and alert stood there, one arm in the coat sleeve and the right hand on the lever which controlled the machine. Elzeau Gougen section hand of that part of the room, stood 10 feet away from the frame with his back to the girl. Other employees stood to the right of her to the front and rear, all like herself intent on hearing the whistle. Suddenly like a flash of lightening the swinging coat sleeve, dangling at the right side of the girl became tangled in the shafting of the frame which revolved almost 18 inches from the floor.
On this shafting ran a little 1 1/4 inch belt to a pully which controlled the motive power of the spinner. The shafting went around with about 400 revolutions per minute and instantly the child was wound around the revolving shaft. The belt slipped from the shafting but the roughness of the steel shaft combined with the amount of the cloth already wrapped around the shafting was sufficient to hold the girl and as it swiftly revolved the girl was thrown around with it. Her body was whirled through the air, striking the spinning frame and also thumping on the floor.
Mr. Gougen heard her screams which were echoed in horror by all the other employees in the room and he turned like a flash to see what happened. Realizing the danger, he sprang over her revolving body and turned the wheel which controlled the spinner. In a moment the huge machine came to a standstill and the girl was released from its fatal clutch. Smith Bateman overseer of the room came up from the rear of the spinning room took in the situation at a glance.
He made for the office telephone but the office was closed and he had to run to a house across the street, where he ordered a carriage at once. He returned to the mill, but seeing the little girl was dangerous, if not fatally injured, he returned to the phone and summoned the Burbank hospital ambulance. It arrived at 6:27, but the girl had died just 10 minutes before, Medical Examiner Frederick H. Thompson was notified and quickly arrived on the scene. He ordered the body be turned over to the Undertaker John R. Smith, who arrived a short time afterwards and removed it to his rooms at 181 Water Street.
Chief of Police D.W. Tinsley and Officer Chadwick who came to the mill soon after the accident, took charge of the situation till the medical examiner had arrived and the body turned over to the undertaker. It was fortunate that they were there as the parents and friends of the dead girl began to arrive just before 7 o’clock. Word had been sent them that their child or “baby”, as they called her had been killed and the news traveled through the Italian colony with wonderful quickness. Fully 20 Italian speaking people followed the mother and father from their home on Middle Street to the mill, and as the grief stricken procession wounded its way through the crowded thoroughfare, the sigh was most pathetic .
The grief of the heart broken parents was most pitiful. At the mill when they learned that the girl had passed away, their grief broke out with renewed force and for a moment it looked as if they lost complete control of themselves. Chief Tinsley and Officer Chadwick did their best to comfort them and ordered a carriage to remove them to their home. When it arrived the parents and friends, as many as could, went home to prepare for the arrival of the body. Even those whose round of duty bring them in contact with such scenes, were deeply affected by the grief of the parents, whose only child had been taken from them.
Medical Examiner Frederick H. Thompson, Sr. viewed the body at John R. Smith’s this morning, giving primary cause of death, fracture of the skull and injury of the brain and multiple fractures. The contributory cause was shock and hemorrhage. The examination also showed that the left arm was broken, but otherwise the arms, hands and body escaped being even bruised, all the injury being in the head.
The funeral will be held this afternoon, from Undertaker Smith’s rooms, with services at St. Anthony’s church. The internment will be in St. Bernard’s cemetery.
** End of article **
This story highlights the dangerous working conditions of our ancestors. In our current times of personal injury lawsuits and safety guidelines - what was recourse back in 1908?
I will continue the story of Concetta in a future post.
