The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-15
AWFUL DEATHS
OVERTAKETWO
SALT LAKE MEN
Merton w. Wheeler Electro
Cuted and W. D. FreCkIeton
Dies From Crushed Skull.
DERRICK AT JORDAN
POWER PLANT FALLS
LIVE WIRE AND FALLING TIM
BEERS ARE MESSENGERS
OF DEATH.


y afternoon Merton ". Wheeler, assist ,
y ant operator Of the Jordan power .
= plant was instantly killed by being =
= struck by q high-tensIOn electric =
y wire, carrying 1000 volts Of electric .
y ity. y
, At the same time W. d. Freckle- =
y ton. an cmplOye OF the Mccormick * y
y Gray Construction company. received y
= injuries which caused his death two =
y hours later. and Andy Weston. an =
y other emp!Oye of the construction =
y company. narrowly escaped death. =
y receiving "a serious scalp wound and =
y severe cuts on the face.
, The fatalities and injuries we're the =
y result Of the falling of large DER y
y rick near the plant The derrick car =
y ried huge pile driver. used in driv- y
= ing piles for the new addition to the y
y power plant, and the big structure .
y gave way and fell to the ground with y
= out a seconds warning Tt carried =
> with il the heavily charged electric .
y wire which carried instant death TO =
y young Wheeler. -
: Freckleton's skull was fractuTee by =
y the timbers Of the falling derrick ,
y and he died at g o'clock while On the =
y operating table al the Lateral
= Saints hospital Weston's injuries =
y were also caused BY being struck by
= the falling timbers.
Wheeler had been on duty for about six
months at the Jordan power plant as as
sistant operator. After eating his lunch
yesterday noon he left the power house
with Mr.. HarreI. also an empiOye Of the
Utah Light & Railway company ard
. went 20 the south side OF the building
to watch the pile driver at work. The
two young men seated themselves on a
pile some distance from the driver, and
| had been there but "a short time when.
without an instants warning. there was
I a crash and the big derrick tOppled over.
I falling to the south and carrying with it
the hiEh-vOltaEe wire Wheeler Erasped
[ the wire with his hands to push it from
him. The current which was shot through
| his body threw him TO the ground, whore
he fell face downward. with the highly
charged wire underneath him and across
( his chest. The hands where he had held
Z the wire were burned TO the bone. and
1 his chest was also badly burned Death
I was instantaneous
F'reckletoa was standing directly I'm the
/ way Of the falling derrick Before he
I could reach a place Of safety he was
I struck on the head by one Of the tim
Z bers and received the injuries which re-
suited in his death.
/ Weston was struck with several smaller
pieces of wood from the wrecked Pile
[ driver Harrell. who was close to Wheel
| er. escaped being touched by the live wire
/ As soon as possible after the accident
l the power was shut off and Wheeler g
1 body removed. The company physician
! DIT. Landenberger. and also Dr. +. T.
] Wilcox. were summoned. and the police
| were notified Of the accident
/ The first doctor to arrive was DR.. 2 Z.
/ Wilcox. He found Wheeler beyond all
/ aid and gave his attention 10 FreCEleton.
I The ambulance was ordered and the in
] iured man sent TO the L. d. S. hospital
4 where he died while being operated upon.
Contractors Reserve Statements.
The derrick was used IN carrying the
. big hammer Of the pile driver, hammer
. which Is said to weigh almost 1000 pounds
I The derrick was erected on the ground
/ and was supported by cables. 1t was con-
: structed by Mccormick & Gray. the con
tractors who have the work in charge
John ~. Mccormick. one Of the members
/ of the firm. was interviewed last evening
I 81 will not make a statement tonight
/ said AIr. Mccormick. when asked II the
accident was caused BY q faulty cQnstruc-
ton Of the derrick. Mr.. MCCORMICK said
he would give out a statement some Othel
I time.
G. G. Gray. the other member Of th,
[ firm. also refused TO talk regarding ths
/ accident.
The accident was one OF the most ter
rible that has occurred in salt Lake FOL
some time Wheeler's death was no doub
instantaneous. but F1eckietousis said tf
have suffered awful agony for two hours
Little hope was held out for his recover
while he was being removed to the hospi
tai. His head was literally crushed. Th'
bodies Of both men are at S. D. Evans
undertaking establishment
Inquest Probably Today.
Coroner Stanley A. Hanks was notifie,
Of the accident about an-hOuT after z
had occurred but before he arrived o.
the scene the body Of Wheeler had beei
removed He said last night that a mos
rigid investigation would be made to lear
the cause Of the accident and also t.
place any responsibility that may eXis
[ where II belongs The coroner will prob
ably hold On inquest today.
Merton ". Wheeler was Is years OF al
and the son Of Mr.. and Mrs. J. NJ Wheel
I err Of SIC South West Temple street. IT
was well known in the city and had man
friends here lie was a graduate OF tn
salt Lake high school and was also
member OF the 1906 class Of Cornell. Will
Continued on Page 8.