, 1923-01-11
FERRIS INQUEST
LAST MONDAY
EYE WITNESSES TO REFINERY TRAG-
EDY TELL OF ACCIDENT. High
WIND Is BLAMED

Wind Is bLAMEU
The inquest called to officially de-
termine the time, place and cause OF
the death of Verne Ferris at the P.
& r Refineries on last Saturday
morning, was held In the Rasmussen
undertaking establishment Monday,
Doctor C. w. Jeffrey, county coroner,
being in charge of the hearing. The
jury was composed of William Seth,
Frank Keefe and e. r. Fulton.
A large number Of witnesses, many
OF whom were eye witnesses, we're
sworn in and thoroughly examined
as to the circumstances surrounding
the sad occurrence.
1t was the opinion of those who
testified that the destruction of the
west wall of the Producers & Re-
finers' boiler house at Grenville was
caused by the unusually strong wind
that was blowing at that time and
that the wall gave away without
warning to anyone. Three men were
buried In the avalanche of falling
bricks, Verne Ferris, Otis Ogg, who
at the time OF the inquest was in a
serious condition, and A.. 8. Asel-
pine. confined at the Memorial Hos
pital with q broken leg.
The jury found after hearing the
testimony that Verne Ferris had
died betweNR . and 3 o'clock in the
evening Of January 9Th "as a result
OF injuries received from the falling
of the 20-foot brick wall of the west
end OF the boiler house at Granville,
Wyoming"
Attorney Arthur Ponesford, of
| nonver otfNrnnv fnr thn prod,nn,. a
Refiners. employers Of Verne Ferris
at the time Of the accident, opened
the hearing with . statement to the
effect that the company desired to
aid all they possibly could in arriv-
ing at q true solution of the cause
of the misfortune.
Miss Phoebe Parmalee. superin-
tendent Of the County Memorial Hos.
pital. was the first to take the stand.
In reply to questions from Doctor
Jeffrey she stated that Ferris ar.
rived at the hospital about noon Sat.
urday. January eth; that he was con.
scious and in great pain while there
and that~he made no attempt to de.
scribe the accident. That he knew
80 minutes before he died that he
had not long to live.
Doctor Raymond Barber was the
next to be sworn in. He stated that
Verne Ferris died from shock result.
Ing from the injuries: that as far a.
he was able to ascertain there were
no serious internal injuries and that
It was the right leg that was caus-
Ing the most of the pain. The doc
tor stated that when Verne was
brought in he showed the effects of
severe shock and that about 4 D.. m.
shock Indications grew steadily more
pronounced. When asked whether
such q condition would not neces-
sarfly mean that the patient had a
weak heart DR.. Barber replied In the
negative.
no warning of the impending dis
aster. Some testified that the wind
was the strongest they had ever ex-
%perienced and that IL came In ereat
gusts.
J. Book stated that he was facing
the west when the wall gave way
without the slightest warning. He
aided In the excavation Of the In
1ured men from the great pile OF
brick.
Joseph Lee. truck driver, testified
that the wind about that time wal no
strong that while driving his truck
he was forced to go into low gear.
That even while the rescue work was
being carried on II was almost i'm
possible to face the wind. He also
stated that q scaffold which had been
erected on the outside OF the wall
came down a minute OF two after the
men had commenced to remove the
brick from the three men under
meath. That after they had moved
the timbers they found that a large
angIe iron. which had been over the
door. had fallen across verne's right
le9. The iron was 20 heavy, he said,
that II was necessary to use timber
levers In order TO raise Il off Of the
suffering man.
William Robertson, who had
charge Of the men at that place, and
who had been working with them at
the time. confirmed what his com
panions had already stated M to the
sudden falling In Of the wall: also
that the wall was OF standard con-
struction and that he had no .
to believe that the wind would take
II vel.
Mr.. Geo. r. Grove. brick foreman.
and superintendent Of the brick lay.
ers who had erected the building.
stated that he had boon actively on.
gaGed In brick work for many years
and that he had inspected tho ercc-
tion Of the building at frequent In
.tervais. knew with what material the
bricks were ccmcnted IN place and
stated that every reasonable prccau-
ton had been taken IN the construc.
ton. When asked II the cold wealth
rr followed by warm winds could
have caused tho wall TO weaken. no
rcpiIcd In the negative. stating that
. brick wall under those conditions
would show signs Of the thaw and
hA had l~nanacfad ia xraN fr.i