Arizona republican., 1910-08-17
TELEPHONE L|NEMEn
 SERIOUSLY INJURED
CHARLES R. IRVING NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH WHEN
 POLE BRAKs.
Sustains Concussion of Brain and Is
 Injured Internally.

Carried to the ground from a | height of twenty-four feet with the ! telephone pole on which he had been working falling across his abdomen. Charles R. Irving, a lineman of the ] Consolidated Telephone, Telegraph & Electric company. engaged in the re- construction of the Buckeye soll line. shortly before noon yesterday suffered cOncussion of the brain and sustained internal injuries the seriousness of which cannot be determined for sever al days. The accident happened about seventeen miles southwest of Phoenix at point not far from the Agua Fria river and short distance from the Sam Webb ranch.
 Ignoring all speed limits, an automo- bile left this city a very few minutes after word had been received at the local offices of the company, telling of the injury to Irving. Aboard the au- tomobile were Dr. Willard Smith, Dis trict Manager E. J. Anderson and City Foreman S. c. Hoeppner, and it is claimed that despite the condition of the Buckeye road, the entire distance was made in considerably less than half an hour.
 
 taken from underneath the pole and he was carried to the Webb ranch and word sent to Phoenix for medical as- sistance. He did not regain conscious ness until sometime after Dr. Smith was uopn the scene and even then he lapsed at intervals into state of semi consciousness.
 The telephone company is at present engaged in placing new poles along the entire route from Phoenix into the Buckeye country. Yesterday linemen were engaged in taking the wires from the old poles and transferring them to the new poles. Irving had mounted one of the old poles, which was twen- ty-four feet long and had succeeded in untying all the wires. allowing them to swing loosely in the breeze. The work was completed, and he had re- moved his safety appliance from about the pole and was in the act of fasten- ing it to his belt preparatory to making the descent.
 In some manner he lost his balance and swung far out from the pole The sudden strain on the partly routed tim Der was too great and the pole gave way at point about six feet from the ground. As the pole fell. Irving, who was clinging to the top of it. was carried to the ground, striking on his head and the end of the pole resting across his abdomen. He was rendered unconscious and lay where he fell until other linemen engaged upon the same work, ran to his rescue.
 He was, carried on a sastily impro- vised stretcher to the Webb ranch. where efforts were made without avail to revive him. And then it was that word was telephoned to the home of flee and the hurried trip of the auto mobile was begun. On the arrival of pr. Smith and his party, it was de- cided that the man was able to stand the trip to Phoenix, and he was ac- cordingly placed on one of the con- struction wagons of the company and driven slowly into town. The party arrived here late in the afternoon and Irving was immediately taken to his home in North Fourth street. pr. Smith visited him again last evening and reported his as resting as easily as could be expected. That he was not instantly killed is considered little short of miraculous.