Gunnison news-champion., 1916-08-18
Electrical
Shocks Cause
Many Deaths
gleeirle0ly 4erlkes vvDeh Ven.
ssenee end sluspsn Lives
Are tlse cesAly Tesl..

come uoWupopexo Itom UuetooG poft3
Of the stats recording The death Of
many men By eIsetrocution.
The onss which affect u most are
those Of Carl Burch and E. L. wylis,
both Of whom met terrible deaths BY
electrocution Sunday.
Burch was Delta man and was well
known in most parts Of Colorado, in
cluding Gunnison. Wyley, IN Olsthe
man, met his death in attempting to
save the life Of his friend, Carl Burch.
The Delta Tribune tells the story Of the
accident in this way:
Eight men were working on por-
ton Of the boarding house being erect
ed by the Primes Chemical Co. at Vans-
dium. They included Ross Allison. Ed.
Bell and Jack Brownman working on
top Of the building where they were to
place . steel smokestack ON TOP Of the
chimney. w. s. Swim and Carl Burch
were working on the inside of the build
ing at carpenter work, while Wyley Of
Olathe was doing the plumbing inside.
While the men on the roof were raising
the smokestack they found they needed
help and called for recruits. Mr.. Swim
responded and took bold Of the guy wire
attached to the smokestack while tie
latter was leaning against the Power
wire just above the building. and BE-
tween which the smokestack was being
raised. Swim received . sharp shock
In his fingers and Immediately dropped
the guy wire. He then told them they
would oil be killed II they were not
careful. Brownman stated that only
one Of the power wires was carrying
jules end ths pipe would have 70 touch
both 70 form eircdit Swim quit thsn
and went down the ladder. The msn
on top then asked Carl to throw up .
coat 70 they could handle the pipe. He
started to do 70 when Swim protested
and cautioned him not to, but Carl went
ahead and threw the coat up, at the
same time striking his arm against the
iron roof Of the shed. Standing on the
damp ground completed the circuit for
the current and 10000 volts passed
through the body Of Burch. He raised
upon tiptoes, his head thrown back, his
arm still against the building and cleo
trio sparks flying and swapping from his
body-he was dead. Swim grabbed for
Carl's clothing but ~ his hands touched
him, he (Swim) fell to the ground. He
felt electricity tingling through his body
but ~ soon ~ he was loose from Carl
and on the ground the current passed
out Just at this time Wyley came
around the building and seeing Carl held
by the current lunged forward and with
both hands placed on Cari's shoulders
the current passed through Wyley's.
body and be was dead in less than ..
moment. Swim called to the men on
top and told them what had happened.
and they removed the smokestack which
broke the. current and Carl's body drop
ped to the ground lifeless.' y
Burch was 43 years Of age and Wyley
q. The former il survived by his
mother. Mrs.. Burch, his wife and four
children. oil Of whom reside in Dslta.
He was nephew Of c. w. (Doc) Shores
Of Salt Lake City. Mr.. Shores was
visiting In Gunnison when the news Of
his nsphew's death reached him. He
left at once Tor the scene Of the acci-
dent E L. Wiley is survived by his
wife and three small children. His
mother, Mrs. A. A. Ritter lives in Ok
ford. Colo.
The many friends Of these enterpris-
ing, well known, and well-liked men
feel most sinesre sorrow ct word Of IL
terrible accident which brought abcut
their death.
Apeculiar accident Of the same sort
happened near Idaho Springs wssk
ego. II was ct The Santiago mine near
Coaflnaod a nm EaDA
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