The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-10-10
FRANK HARTEL SERIOUSLY
INJURED By WHEAT TANK.
Second Accident Caused by Removal of Steel Wheat
Tanks From the Old to New Site of Wenatchee Mill
ing Co.-Laboring Mans Leg Arm, Shoulder Blade
and Skull Fractured-Is Expected to Recover

hurt this noon by one of the steel
wheat tanks tipping over His left
leg. right arm and shoulder blade
were broken; the skull was fractur-
ed just above the neck. The man
is now lying at the General Hospital
under the care of DIR. Grosvenor.
The steel tanks are being moved
from their former location on the
property of the Wenatchee Milling
company to their new mill recently
purchased from the Beal Milling
company. When the accident oc-
Cured this noon the tanks were
about 100 feet south of Kittitas
street on Columbia street, nearly in
front of the depot.
The method of moving has been
to lay a track of very heavy timbers
on which rollers were placed. The
tanks rest on another set of timbers
which in turn rest on the rollers.
A donkey engine pulls the tanks
along by means of cable. The en-
ployes are compelled to be quite ae-
tive in passing the rollers from the
rear to the front as fast as needed.
This work requires several men to
operate underneath the tanks. Har-
tel was so occupied when the acct
dent happened
Good progress was being made
when the timbers in front which rest
on the rollers, suddenly and without
warning showed toward the inside.
Evidently Hartel tried to avert the
trouble, but was caught and PIN
toned to the ground, the left leg be-
ing held between two timbers with
almost the entire weight Of the huge
tank resting upon his limb. He was
thrown into this predicament by fly
ing timbers which broke his right
arm and shoulder blade and frac-
tured his skull. For half an hours he
laid in agony while the other work
men toiled with jack screws and the
crow bars to lift the fearful weight.
Meanwhile crowds of people ar
rived and among them came pr
Grosvenor. He gave the suffefer
hypodermic injection at once. Soon
the leg was disengaged and ,the
mans injuries more carefully look
ed into. He was then taken to the
hospital in DR.. McCoy's auto by
Gene Courtway The foreman for
the contractors Garrick & Garrick.
instructed DR.. Grosvenor to give
their employe every care and they
would pay the bill.
1t is quite probable that the acct
dent might have proved more disas-
trous but for the wires of the elec-
trio company against which the top
heavy tank fell and rested before 1t
had completely lost its balance. II
these wires had not averted the fall
of the tank, Hartel would, doubtless.
have been worse injured than he
was, perhaps fatally, and other work
men as well.
The task of setting the tank to an
upright position is for the same rea-
son not very difficult.
This is the second acct lent caused
by the removal of these tanks. They
are difficult to handle for the rea-
son of their comparatively light
weight and extreme height. If they
weighed a hundred tons instead Of
35 or 40, the undertaking would be
much more simple. Another diff
Guilty is lack of skilled help. The
men at work on the job are common
laborers and do not seem to realize
the necessity of watching everything
with alert eyes and moving with
agility.
One of the men employed 'aban-
doned the job yesterday. He told
on the street that he feared an acct
dent owing to the fact that the front
tank (the one which fell yesterday
was not sufficiently fastened. He
noticed that it wabbled about con-
stantly on the rollers and was held
in place only with the greatest diff
Guilty.
Later: At 2:30 the hospital re-
ported that the man is resting we'll
and that he will recover nicely. 1t
was found that the arm was not bro
ken. 1t is doubtful whether the leg
was fractured. The scalp wound was
discovered to be bad one. but the
man is now resting we'll.