Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-11-29
CARPENTER killed XII. |.
BY HIGH VOLTAGE
Two other Workmen Burned by
Rampant Current This
Morning.
ONE MAY NOT SURVIVE
ONE MAY NOT SURVIVE
Steel Pipe Fell Across High Tension
Wires ut Service Plant for
Church Buildings.

Farley p. Pratt. Il carpenter working
on the new power plant for the Hotel
Utah. which Is located between West
Temple street and First West, just
vast of the temple block, was almost
instantly electrocuted shortly before
noon today when Il large steel cement
pipe he and others were placing on the
roof of the building fell across high
voltage wire of the Utah Light & Rail
way company that ran alongside of tho
building.
whose address is unknown. was badly
shocked and is in such a condition that
his recovery is doubtful. He was taken
to the Holy Cross hospital.
W. NJ. Cole, a laborer on the building.
was badly burned and went to the hos
pitul with DR.. II. A. Hosmer, who was
called just after the accident.
That many of the other workmen as
ssting in the placing of the heavy pipe
were not shocked by the terrible volt
age that went coursing through 1t as 1t
met the wire is wondered at by all
those on the building at the time.
For nearly an hour the injured men
lay on the roof Of the building which
is high above the ground. The work
is in charge Of the Trent Engineering
company, who are the contractors for
the building. and w. /. Powell the time
keeper for the company, seems to have
been the only one In charge at the time.
POLICE ON THE SCENE.
When the police arrived, Patrolmcn
Phillips, Armstrong, Eckstead and Giles
did noble work in bringing the men to
the ground. Pratt was still alive q
few minutes after the accident, and Dr.
lIosimer stated that had his fellow
workmen possessed presence of mind
enough to direct the workmcn to keep
UP respiration artiticially. his life might
have been saved.
When the four policemen arrived on
foot. the men were still on top of the
roof and no attempt had even been
made to get medical attendance. OH,
ger Phillips Immediately telephoned for
the police auto and the work OF rescu-
ing the injured and dead men from the,
roof of the building began.
Officer Armstrong took off his cont
and went to the roof among the wires,
while Phillips directed the work from
below. a scaffoldng was made and
the. body of Pratt was the first to reach
the ground, Dr. Hosmer examined 1t
at once and pronounced life extinct
In few minutes more Cole and
Mathews were back OH the ground and
being rushed to the h"sptnl. Mathews
Is only shocked. but 50 seriously that
he could not move n muscle. Cole is
badly burned about the hands and arms
where he came In contact with the
charged pipe.
FELL ACROSS WIRES.
The pipe that the men were placing
Is about IL inches In circumference.
1t was being placed so that cement
could be run into n, form near the edge
of the building, when 1t slipped from
the ropes that held il and came across
the high voltage wires. There was a
blur, a flash, and II smell of burning
flesh and Pratt was seen to drop back
on the floor. The other men also fell.
Tlmekeeper Powell rushed UP the lad
der and everybody became excited.
Pratt never spoke a word after the ac-
cidcnt happened The. other worknen
removed the pipe from the wires and
several OF them received minor shocks
in doing so. Then the police came. and
the work OF rcscuinE the Injured from
the roof Of the building began.
Several thousand volts of electricity
must have shot through the pipe as 1t
touched the wires because the body OF
Pratt docs not show even Il burn.
Pratt is married and has n family.
He WAS about 40 years OF agee. Ho
lived with his wife and three children
ut $40 north Third West street, He was
n member of Local 1874 Brotherhood Of
Carpenters. Business Agent Wilkes of
l,.,t spntifta1 AirS ~ thp
death OF her husband. Mr.. ana Mrs.
Pratt Mcrc fornlcr residents of Nern;ll.