The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-02
SUING SANTA FE.
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles SchraInm Want
$500 for Death of Son.

An echo of the fire and explosion
in a freight car in the Santa Fe yards
during the early part of last summer
and in which Guy Luddington, a nero
of the big flood, and Walter Il.
Schramm received injuries which re-
suited in their deaths, was heard In
the district court this morning Wheh
the suit was started which has Deen
brought by Charles schramm NJ ana ana
Caroline Schram, parents OF Walter
q. Schramm, to recover $1,000 dam
ages from the railway company for
the death of their son.
This fire, which resulted so dlsas-
trously. happened during the early
morning hours of June 15. 1906.
Young Schramm was a member of the
Santa Fe shops fire department he
and the other members OF the de-
partment responded to the hre call
1t was found that the fire was in
freight car near the supply house. In
the course of fighting the fire a num-
Der of the fremen were sent into the
car by William f. Snyder, the chief OF
the fire department. They were sent
there to remove some of the contents
of the car. They had not been there
long when a terrific explosion occur
red 1t developed that the car was
loaded with paints and oils and mn
ishing material called "sipes.' 1t was
some of the cans of "siDes" that ex-
ploded.
Five or six of the firemen were bad
ly burned by the blazing fluid, which
scattered in all directions as the re-
suit of the explosion. The burns re-
ceived by Schramm and Luddington
proved fatal. sLuddington dying the
same day that the fire occurred and
Schramm the day after
At the time of his death Schram m
was yet a minor, his age being nine
teen He was a strapping big fellow.
being over six feet tall and of heavy
build. He had been indentured to the
Santa Fe as a boilermaker's appren-
tice by his parents on October 81.
1903. His apprenticeship was to run
for four years and a the time of his
death he was receiving pay for his
apprenticeship services at the rate of
$1.35 a day.
In their causes of action for dam
ages the parents of young Schramm
declare that inasmuch as the boy was
apprenticed as a boilermaker the
company was negligent in directing
and permitting him, while he was a
minor and under particular appren-
ticeship indenture, to become a fire
man, whose duties were more hazard
Gus than the duties of boilermaker's s
apprentice 1t is also claimed that
the company is responsible for negl1-
gence on the part of Chief Snyder for
sending men into the car.
Schramm, according to the petition
in the case. largely contributed to the
support of his mother and father,
who are now about sixty years old.
and that it was his habit to turn over
to them all of his wages
1t is the contention of the company
that the service of Schramm as a fire
man was purely voluntary. That as
remuneration for it he received one
extra days pay month as well as the
privilege of working ten hours day
and getting extra pay for the extra
hours put in For his service as fire.
man under these conditions he re-
ceived pay in addition to his appren-
tice's alary which amounted to be-
tween $12 and SIS a month. He had
the further privilege of occupying a
room free of charge in the shop yards.
The company claims further that it
is not liable because at about the time
of his indenture as an apprentice his
parents signed a paper releasing the
company from anv damages for in
iuries or the death of their son while
he was learning his trade.
A Jury to weigh the evidence in the
case was secured this morning and
the taking of testimony was begun. 1t
is likely that two or three days will be
required for the trial.