The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-05

Anderson died in the service The
sum of $1,000 will be paid to his widow
out of the Firemen's Relief fund, and
the further sum of 500 for funeral ex-
penses has also been voted.
On January 26, 1892, Anderson was
hoseman at headquarters. He went
out that night on the old hose reel
with Ben McCarter.. The reel capSized
at Fourth and Kansas avenue. Nc
Carter was killed, and Anderson was
so severely hurt that for a long time
his life was despaired of. His spine
was hurt and the doctors believed
that one of his ribs, which was broken,
had punctured his lung. His heart
was also affected by the accident. At
ter that Anderson was unable to do
the heavy work of a regular fireman
and Chief Wilmarth gave him the
position of electrician and lineman.
Anderson was not an electrician
when he took the job. He didn't know
the first principles of a battery or the
elements of electrical wiring. But he
went to work to learn. He was given
a start in the right direction by Chief
Wilmarth. He bought text books, and
studied electricity from the ground up
He picked up the practical part of the
work as he went along with his daily
duties. Before long Anderson knew his
business thoroughly. He could take a
fire alarm box to pieces, clean it, and
get all the pieces back where they be-
lOnged. He carried a map in his head
of every fire alarm circuit in town. He
knew where the trees and houses on
the line were likely to make trouble;
he knew the other wires with which
his own were likely to interfere. At
the time of his death he was in charge
of a battery of 400 cells at fire depart
ment headquarters.
"NelS Anderson was a natural born
electrician said Chief Wilmarth to-
day. He seemed to take to the work
remarkably, and we never had more
efficient, faithful man in the depart
3 T-1c r7..r-e- L.
trouble with him was that he would
keep at work when his back was thou
bling him from the old injury received
in 1892. He never complained, and
the only way / could tell when he was
unable to work was by the looks of his
face. Nels was always cheerful, al
ways busy, and always to be depended
upon. He did not go to fires on the
first alarm, but on general alarms he
turned out to look after the wires
On Tuesday, April &c, Anderson went
with Hoseman Rhodes of Station No.
8 to put in the wires to connect up a
gong at the Harrison street pumping
station. It was a cold and rainy day,
and Anderson had been at work only a
short time when he was taken with a
severe chill. Even then he persisted
in staying at work until Rhodes in
sisted on his going home. He went
home, went to bed, and never got up.
He grew steadily worse, and his old
injuries bothered him. For the forty
elRnL hours prior 10 MS Qedlu II Wis
realized that his condition was hope
less. Wednesday night just as Chief
Wilmarth was about to go to bed, he
was summoned to AndersOn's home.
The end was near at hand, and the
chief stayed through the night at the
sick mans bedside. Anderson died at
six minutes past A o'clock this morn
ing.
Mr.. Anderson leaves a wife and four
children. three boys and a girl. The
Oldest is a boy of II years. So far as
known he had no life insurance.
At the funeral Saturday the fire de-
partment employees will be represented
by as large a detail as can be spared
from service. The pail bearers will be
Capt H N. Gilman, of No l station;
Capt. Jos. Hanlon, of No. truck
corps Hoseman Luscomb, of No. 2;
Hoseman Rhodes, of No. g; Capt
Weidlich, of No. 4; and Driver VIM
Miller of No. 4. Rev. Kelso will be
the officiating clergyman. The IRE
department win send a large floral
tribute.
Nels Anderson was born in Sweden
/ and was AZ years of age. He had been
in America nearly all his life, but has