125 years ago in 1899, transcribed as originally published in the Youngstown Vindicator:

His courage at a most trying moment averted what might have been an awful catastrophe. Reese L. Jones’ heroic act at the Brown Bonnell Plant on Wednesday.

By the presence of mind and daring courage of Reese L. Jones, the Brown Bonnell Iron company was saved a big property damage on Wednesday, and in addition, what might have been a frightful loss of life was averted just in the nick of time.

Mr. Jones was eating his dinner about noon yesterday, in the little house located near the 12-inch mill of the above plant. In the place with him, at the time, were several of his fellow workmen. The well-known roller heard an awful racket, and hurrying out of the shanty, saw the men employed in the 12-inch mill running in all directions, with blanched faces and terror written on every feature.

Mr. Jones yelled for someone to shut the mill down, but the engineer Lester Bushnell, was engaged at the time about his duties in the spike factory some distance away.

Mr. Jones made a hasty investigation, quicker than it takes to tell it, and ascertained that the governor belt had broken and that the ponderous machinery was running wild.

Instantly it flashed across his mind that he must avert the awful calamity that threatened the works. Without thought of his own safety he hurried to the steam valve right in the midst of the greatest danger, and shut off the steam. The engine was swaying from side to side like a cradle, and the ground shook from the terrible strain. The flywheel, a gigantic affair of 30 tons of metal, was revolving so fast that it simply showed its location by a whirling blur-like circle. The machinery all over the mill was jumping in a frightful manner from the awful strain, but heedless of all this, the intrepid Jones started to turn the screws on the rolls, to aid in stopping the machinery, and in about 5 or 10 minutes he succeeded in reducing the speed of the engine and the plant was saved.

After it was all over and Mr. Jones realized what he had done, he became pallid from the relaxation of the fearful strain. His fellow workingmen gathered around him and were enthusiastic in their praise for the brave act.

Had the machinery gone on at the terrible speed it had attained, a few moments longer, the flywheel would have let go, and the damage to the plant would have been away up in the thousands not counting the loss of life the flying tons of metal might have caused in the crowded mill.

Mr. Jones saved the company a big loss, and it would have taken weeks to repair the damage to the machinery had he hesitated at the trying moment.

The men on the 12-inch mill were engaged at the time of the accident in rolling an order for 4 1/2-inch band iron.

Compiled from the Youngstown Vindicator by Chelsea Hess, Mahoning Valley Historical Society archives assistant.