The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-12-23
OPERATOR IS
ASPHYXIATED
{. II. Buell. Met Death--kenneth
de Noble Narrowly Escapes
GAS CONNECTIONS SLIP
Accident Occurred In Seaboard Air Line
Office at Jackson viIIe.-Deceased was
Son of S. S. Buell., of this City

Mr. ,. >. Buell. returned to Fort
Pierce Wednesday morning from Jack
sonvlle, where he was summoned on
account of the death of his son, Charles
II. Buell., by asphyxiation, while at
work in the Seaboard telegraph office.
The deceased was born August II,
1877. lnterment was made in Ever
green cemetery, Jacksonville, Monday
morning.
This is double bereavement for Mr..
Buell.. as his sister, Mrs. A. Crandal,
of Alton, ILL.,, died in Los Angeles, Cal,
on December 10th, three days after her
arrival in that city for visit with
sister. The body was returned to her
childhood home at Lincoln, ILL.,, for in
terment.
The sympathy of every one in this
double bereavement.
The following account of the death
of Mr.. Charles H. Buell. appeared in
Sundays issue of the Times Union:
A call" which chartered fast and
clear on the sounder of his telegraphic
instrument, awakened Charles H. Buell.,
an operator in the Hogan street offices
of the Seaboaad Air Line railway Sat-
urday morning, at about o'clock, just
in time for him to realize that death
was visiting him in the form of ilumi-
mating gas, which was issuing forth at
broken connection of hose from the
wall pipes to heater which stood by
his desk. He charged franticaly to-
wards the door, but the fatal fumes
had caught too firm hold on him and
he fell to the floor. A few minutes
later when assistance arrived, he was
found dead. and Kenneth de Noble,
friend who was visiting him, likewise
in an unconscious condition from the
same cause. De Noble was carried to
the De Soto Sanatorium on the advice.
of DR.. r. l.. Harris and he had about
recovered by midday Saturday The
physician had been called by those who
found the plight of the two men and he
pronounced Buell. dead when lie arrived.
The body of the dead man was taken
to the undertaking establishment Of
Marcus Conant, and de Noble hurried
in the new automobile ambulance of
that concern to the hospital.
It.is believed that Buell. pulled the
heater out several feet in the floor to
keep it from warming the water cooler,
which was close by the wall and that in
this manner the rubber connection with
the wall pipe was drawn too tight or
possibly partly slipped off then. He is
then thought to have gotten in com
Portable position for few minutes
sleep while nothing was being done ov-
er the wire and that perhaps his foot
fell on the rubber hose and caused it to
break away from the connection. In
this manner the gas oozed out close to
him and filed the room, while he was
asleep. When the sounder started up
it is probable that he awakened in IA
dazed condition, but was unable to reach
the door to the corridor Of the building
Other persons about the building
noticed the accident to the two men
and Immediately dragged them into the
hallway. Buell. was dead then and de
Noble was in crazed condition. Call
Officer Frank Davis, from police head
quarters, was soon on the scene and he
called in the officers of the railway I'M
der whom Buell. worked, and made the
preliminary arrangements from the po-
lice standpoint.
T. j. Mckenzie, chief operator Of the
Seaboard here. explained to Justice l..
ID. Howell, the dead mans position. at
the desk and stated that there was
record of his having been busy at 9 o.
clock in the morning. 1t is believed
that at about 4 O'Clock work had stopp-
ed on the wire he was operating, and
he then leaned his body over on the
desk near the sounder for short nap.
A little later also il is thought. the ac-
cident took place to the connection and
Buell. was soon breathing the fatal gas.
The accidental theory seemed altogeth-
err probable and Justice Howard deemed
a formal inquest unnecessary.
Buell. was married man of about 30
years of age and lived on Rosele street
Riverside. He had been in Jackson
vile for four years, two of which he
has been in the employ of the Seaboard
railway. His old home was at Enter
prise, Fla. His father lives at Fort
Pierce. He is survived by his wife,
Mrs. Ella Buell. and small child.
Buell. and de Noble were great friends
and spent much of their spare time to-
gether. De Noble is native of Bing-
hampton, N. Y, and once lived in Key
West. Some time ago he came to jack
sOnvile and has been engaged in the
pressing club business.
The st. Luce Ice Company has en-
stalled electric lights in the city coun-