The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-10-06
GIVEN BAD SHOCK;
DEATH IS INSTANT.
THOUSANDS OF VOLTS
PASS THROUGH BODY
HURRIED TO HOSPITAL
Physicians Worked Over the
Man For Hour, But To
No Purpose

@Ao "OSt riVut SlISeI, WIS III
stantly killed yesterday morning
while working short distance
south of Kasota on the Northern
States Power company lines. What
makes the death a particularly un-
fortunate one, is the fact that the
young man was married a little over
a year ago, and leaves young WIFE,
Mr.. Beetsch with six other men
had been sent to a point a short
distance south Of Kasota to install
new insulators. Word had been
sent out to cut off the current pre-
vious 10 the men going to work, but
for some reason, it was cut in at
Montgomery while Mr.. Beetsch was
working on a pole beneath high
tension wire, with Nels Holden
the ground short distance away
Mr.. Holden saw Mr.. Beetsch sag in
his safety belt and his head lop over
to one side. Realizing that some
thing was wrong, Mr.. Holden threw
a dead line" over the wire and
grounded it. He then climbed the
pole and tried to get Mr.. Beetsch
out of the safety belt, and failing
" uO So, CUT Inc UtlL anu CdIIlGU
him down the pole.
Brought To Mankato.
Mr.. Holden hailed the first pass
ing automobile and the stricken mSn
was hurried to Emmanuel hospital
where DR.. G. A. Dahl, DR.. Roy N.
Andrews and DR.. J. s. Holbrook
worked over the body for over an
hour but without success. 1t is be-
lieved that death was instantaneous.
According to the statement of Nels
Holden, Mr.. Beetsch did not come
in direct contact with the high ten
sion wire. He was several feet be-
meath it. A bad burn on one temple
would indicate that the $4,000 volts
passing over the high tension were
passed through his head and body
and caused instant death.
Joseph Beetsch, the father OF the
men were working on the same line
about two miles farther south toward
Mankato, and they all experienced
slight shocks. At the time the faith
er of the young man made the re-
mark to his fellow workmen, Il hope
that nothing happened to Ben"
Born In .Mankato.
BENJAMIN Beetcsh was born in this
city December 26, 1896, and Is sur
vived by his wife and his father,
Joseph Beetsch and the following
brothers and sisters. Miss Violet
Beetsch, Mrs. L. Johnson, and Mrs.
Paul Schmidt, George Beetsch,
Charles Beetsch and Thomas Reetsch
all living in this city.
Fraternally the deceased was af-
filiated with the Ancient Order of
United workmen and the Mankato
Aerie of Eagles. The funeral will
be held from the home, 215 West
Front street, tomorrow afternoon
at two o'clock, when a short serv-
ice will be held at 2:30 at the
German Methodist church, where
Rev. Carl Kruger, will officiate. The
burial will take place in CT enwood
cemetery.
Statement BY Manager Brown
The following is a statement is
sued by R. e. Brown, general man
ager of the Northern States power
company to The Free Press.
''Mr. Ben Beetsch, residing at
215 West Front street, an en-
ployee of the Northern States
burned while working on the
high line between Mankato and
ST. Peter, Sunday morning
about 8 A. M. He was immedi-
ately taken to the Emmanuel
hospital and all available effort
was made to bring him out from
under the effects Of the bnrns
but without results as he died
a few hours later.
Investigation of the facts
surrounding the accident show
that this line was opened up
and made safe at the Mankato
substation and the superinten-
dent at st. Peter was instruct
ed to disconnect his plant from
our wires and to operate his
town Independently and free
from us during the time the
men were engaged on these
lines. These Instructions he
carried Oh, as requested. The
linemen worked an hour or so
on the line, making changes of
certain poles that had to be re-
placer by new ones and about
800 A. M. Mr.. Beetsch was en-
gagged in splicing certain wires
when the current was turned
on to these wires by an en-
ployee of the Northwest Utili-
ties company, stationed at
Montgomery, through gross ig-
norance and neglect, as he was
instructed the day before by our
superintendent that we would
be working on the line Sunday
morning. On this particular day
the large flour mill at Mont
gomery was operated at full ca
pacity, and through some mis-
understanding or mixup of or
ders, given by the Northwest
Utilities representative at LIE
Sueur Center and Montgomery,
this man failed to disconnect
the switch att Montgomery but
threw same into service, there
by throwing the town of Mont
gcmery and full voltage onto
the line reaching back into
Cleveland, st. Peter and Kasota. !
%Mr. Nels Holden, who was
at the pole where Mr.. Beetsch
was working at the time of the
accident, and quite distance
from the rest of the linemen,
assembled the pole and by the
use of his line and belt remov-
ed Mr.. Beetsch from the top of
the pole and got him down to
the ground. He was then
brought TO the hospital in one
OF the company's cars"
Statement OF Coroner
County Coroner G. A. Dahl, In a
statement to The Free Press, said
that an inquest would not be neces
sary, that death was due to acct I
dental electrOcutiOn. He made the,