The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-04
WAS CAUGHT IN
ELEVATOR SHAFT
George w. Nelson Killed in
Dry Goods Warehouse.
LEANING OVER PLATFORM
When Head Was Caught Be-
tween Floor and Platform.

George w Nelson, caller for the Cox,
Johnson & Dimond Wholesale Dry Goods
company, was caught between the ele-
vator platform and the second floor OF
the warehouse about nine o'clock yester-
day morning and was so badly injured
that he died al 1870 in the Wichita hos
pital Mr. Nelson operated the elevator
at the warehouse. 1t was his business
to take goods from one floor TO another.
Yesterday he wheeled a box of rubbers
onto the elevator from the basement floor
and started up. Roy Lewis and Lyme
Stanley. two fellow employees, were SHOW
cling snow off a platform at the rear OF
the building. Mr.. Nelson stepped of the
elevator and picked up handful OF snow
and proceeded on his way. The two
young men on the platform threw some
snow at him while going up.
Just above the first floor Mr.. Nelson is
Supposed to have knelt down and leaned
over the outer edge of the elevator plat
form to throw snow ball at the men
below. No one saw him do this and no
one knows how he was caught. The young
mans head was pinioned between the
elevator platform and the flooring. The
elevator is operated by electricity and
could not be stopped.
Mr. Nelson's body was thrown up over
the floor and the elevator passed on TO
the top. the body Immediately falling to
the basement floor, thirty feet below.
1t seems almost impossible for Mr.. Mel
son to have been caught as he was ana
his head not be crushed to pulp.
The space between the floor and the ele-
Vator platform is less than two inches
but the elevator must have sprung to
allow the mans head to pass through
and not be crushed,
No bones were broken but an artery
was broken in the neck and death result
cd from an internal hemmorrhage. Mr..
Nelson was struck on the left side of the
face and deep cash was cut about three
inches long beginning at the point of the
jaw A space about four inches square
was Scraped clear of skin but no other
marks are visible.
Verne Garland. an employee of the COM
pany, was standing on the second floor
ana about three feet from the elevator
shaft when the body of the injured man
was thrown upon the floor from the shaft
He hardly knew what had happened, but
tried TO catch the mans clothing to keep
him from falling down the shaft, but the
clothing slipped and George Nelson pitch
ed to the bottom of the shaft. The two
men at the bottom at whom Nelson
threw the snow bali saw the body drop
but neither saw how the accident occur
red. Verne Garland did not see the man
crushed until the body was thrown onto
the floor
Mr. Nelson was picked up and carried
TO another part of the room and physi-
clans summoned. They could not relieve
the mans pain and he was sent to the
Wichita hospital.
Mr. Nelson was in a semi-consciouS
condition all of the time and asked his
fellow workmen TO rub his back as thai
seemed to be very painful. After being
taken to the hospital the man gradually
lost strength and died an hour and a
half after the accident.
Mrs. Nelson was called as soon as the
accident occurred and was with her hus
band until his death.
George w. Nelson was 50 years of age
and has been a resident OF Wichita fol
three months. His home was in Hen
nessey. o. T. He was a machinist in that
place until he came here to work for Cox
Johnson & Dimond Mr. Nelson came
to Wichita on December % and some
weeks later brought his wife and chill
dren and have been living at 423 Orchard
street on the west side He was married
thirteen years ago and five children were
born to them four girls and one son.
Mr. Nelson was little known in this
city outside of the warehouse. but his
fellow workmen held him in the highest
esteem and he had the confidence of his
employers for ne was an honest hard
working man, attending to his duties
carefully.
Mr. Nelson's parents and relatives live
about ten miles from Hen1essey. They
were notified Immediately after the acct
dent and arrived in the city last night.
The funeral arrange nentS have not
been completed but it is expected that the
body will be taken to Hennessey for bur
iaI Mr.. Nelson was a member in good
standing in the A. Q. L. W. and carries
insurance Yesterday afternoon there
was some talk of a cor Onsr's inquest but
the jury was not called and will not be
until the relatives reach the city and de-
mand an inquest. FrxU all appearances
no blame is attached u any one except
Mr. Nelson himself. He had operated the
elevator for three months and knew al
about its opera ton. Although no one
knows Just how the accident occurred,
from every indication there is no doubt
but that the man was leaning over the
platform when caught between the ele-
vator and the floor.
Those who were near the elevator al
the time Of the accident made their state
meuts to Mrs. Nelson yesterday and VII
make the same statements to the Tela-
tives II they are satisfied that Mr.. Mel
son himself was 10 blame there VIII he nc
inquest and the coroner viii make his
record to that effect. II the parents de-
mand an inquest it will be made this
morning.
WERE BEST OF ALL.