The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-24
SALT LAKE MEN
ELECTROCUTED
IN BINGHAM
Curtin E. Erman Meets In
slant Death; Eugene l..
Gerargen Dies in Hos.
pital Later.
BREAKING OF IRON
WIRE PROVES FATAL
Telephone Line Being Strung
by Men When Live Wire
Falls Upon 1t; One
Injured.

The sudden breaking Of a heavy iron
wire which was being strung across the
high power wires OF the Utah Copper
COMPANY in front of the home of b. ".
Wadleigh. near Bingham az noon yes
terday. caused the instant death Of
Curtin F. Erman of this city by elec
trocution. and injured Eugene l.. Ger
argeu so seriously that he died shortly
after midnigh, last night. Arthur Da-
Wis Of No. | Cottage court, this city.
was painfully injured. He IS now at
his home. where nc is being attended
by physicians. Gerargen was on pole
near tbe large spool from which the
wire was being reclcd, and was hurled
to the ground, DAVIS was standing
near Erman Gcrargen was rushed 10 a
train for Salt Lake City. but his con
dition was go critical that nc was taken
back and died in Bingham hospital.
Telephone Line Falls.
The telephone wire was being strung
by Iincmcn Of the Mountain States Tel
cphouc 4 Telegraph company. Several
men were working With tEe wire at the
time ut the accident. Both copper and
iron wire were being used, but the wire
that caused the accident was the iron
wire. The linz was being strung over
and at right angles with the high power
line of The Copper company. Pulleys
on each side and some distance above
the power line were used over which
TO drag the wires being strung. Sew
eraI men were at either cud OF the wire
and great strength was being exercised
TO pull the wire over the pullcys. When
tho wire broke, the end nearest 10 the
reel fell upon the power line and caused
a terrific current 20 reach the three
men who happened to have bold OF the
wire.
Erman, who was holding the wire ns
it was being reeled from the large
spool, was.the subject OF the most direct
current, his body acting as
"ground. - lie was instantly killed.
Gerargen was on a pole near the spool,
and the contact there was sufficient 10
hurI him to the ground. Gerargen was
unmarried and lived IN this city.
Accounts Differ.
The breaking of the iron wire was 80
sudden aud the results followed IN such
ouick succession that none OF the men
near the scene was able TO give an ac-
curate account of the accident. Willlam
]. Sullivan. city foreman OF the teie-
pbone company, questioned Mr.. Davis
Inst night at the Davis home, and was
abie 10 learn enough To surmise the re-
mainder of the details. Nearly every
man who was near the scene Of the ac-
c;5snt told a different story Of tho af-
fair. II was at first thought that the
coil had become unwound suddenly, out
tba fact that the wire was broken
weakens this theory.
The men who were pulling the WIRE
felt no shock whatever and 1t Is sup
nosed that their end OF the wire was
pulled clear OF the deadly current OK
the Utah copper company "o'
Erman, who was killed, lived witn
his wife at $40 South Tenth East street,
this city. Mrs. Erman went last night
TO Bingham to arrange for funeral serv-
ices and burial, which will probably be
held here. Gcrargen was unmarried
Davis is being attended at his home
by physicians.
Mr.. Sullivan, city foreman OF the te
ephone company. in discussing the acci-
dent last night, said
1t is extremely difficult TO get
connected story of the affair. The
thing was done so quickly that
none Of the men near the spot are
able 10 say definitely just how II
happened. The strongest theory
that can advance is that the wire
broke and the end connected with
the reel fell upon the high power
wires OF the Utah Copper company,
According to Mr.. Davis, the iron
wire was being strung across and
over the high power wires and
when the break came, the end con-
nected with tho wires.
Erman's body formed a conncc
tion with the ground and this caused
the curront 10 injure both Gerar
gen and Davis. Just how Davis es