Tragic Accident at Beechwood

THE GUARDIAN SATURDAY MARCH 6 , 1926

LYMM AND DISTRICT
BOYS PINNED UNDER SAFE
ONE KILLED AND THREE INJURED

About four o'clock on a Sunday afternoon , a distressing tragedy occurred at Lymm . Four brothers; Edgar Dennis Ward aged 15; Charles David Ward aged 12; Cyril Stephen Ward aged 10 and Paul Spencer Ward aged 6 , whose parents lived at Crouchley Lane, Lymm

After returning from Sunday school, they went into the grounds of Beechwood Hall, which is close to their home. The Hall had not been tenanted for some time and was being dismantled.  A large iron safe weighing about 25 cwt had been moved from the Hall and placed in the grounds. The children were playing around the safe when it toppled over and buried the eldest boy Dennis underneath, killing him outright. He was a member of the Parish Church Choir and also of the Lymm Habitation of the Primrose League ( juvenile section ) .

SEVENTEEN MEN TO LIFT SAFE

The youngest boy, Paul, was partially under the safe and the other two were struck by the door as it was falling over. Police Sergeant Bate and a constable were in the vicinity and hastening to the scene.  The sergeant obtained the assistance of 15 men and it took them some time to lift the safe sufficiently to enable them to extricate the body of Edgar. The youngest boy had to be dug out of the loose soil. The three injured brothers were taken to their home and attended by Dr. Mackay of Lymm . David, who was hit by the door of the safe as it fell over, was suffering from a fractured skull and a scalp wound and Paul, whose leg was pinned under the safe, had a fractured thigh, a lacerated wound on the leg and was also suffering from extensive shock. The other boy, Cyril had a scalp wound. The Altrincham motor ambulance was summoned and two of the brothers, David and Paul, were conveyed to the Altrincham General Hospital .