| Notes |
- Town of Center Farmers Touch Wires Blown Down in Wind Storm
One Man Killed Instantly and Second Dies in Hospital
Caught beneath an electric line carrying 33,000 volts two town of Center farmers were electrocuted during the severe windstorm here last night.
The electrocution occurred on Highway 47 about a mile west of Mackville about 11:30. The two farmers, Edward Schmaling, 32, and Frank Luedtke, 50, were engaged in pulling cars from the ditch with a tractor when they were killed. Reinhart Sommers, whose tractor was being used and who was working with the men, was thrown against a fence when the line fell but he suffered only a small burn on one cheek.
Three poles carrying the high tension wires were blown over by the wind, falling across the road and stopping traffic.
The break in the wires was discovered by Officer Charles Steidl who said Luedtke and Sommers were standing on the roadside when he stopped and he asked them to stand guard and keep the cars back so that no one would be hurt and he said he warned them not to go near the wires. Steidl then left for Appleton to notify the Wisconsin Michigan Power company because telephone lines were down and it was impossible to reach them by telephone.
Three automobiles were mired in the ditch when Officer Steidl arrived and he advised the farmers to leave the cars where they were until the power had been shut off.
After the officer left, according to the story told to District Attorney Staidl by Sommers, Luedtke went to the Sommers home and asked Sommers to get out his tractor to pull the cars from the ditch. Sommers complied and the three worked together and pulled out one car. They then backed the tractor into the ditch again to pull out the second car.
'I was just bending over to fasten the chain,' Sommers told District Attorney Staidl, 'when suddenly a big ball of fire shot past me. I felt a sharp sting on my cheek and was stunned for a minute or so. When I recovered I noticed Luedtke laying a few feet away and Schmaling was laying a little further off with his clothing afire. I didn't want to touch them at first but finally I did so. I rubbed Luedtke's chest for a short time but then I noticed that he was dead and I pulled his body to the side and covered it. I then went to Schmaling and found him alive. His clothing was smoldering and I put out some of the sparks.'
Schmaling and Luedtke had been touched by the falling wires when a fourth pole fell.
They were taken to St Elizabeth Hospital in an ambulance but Luedtke was dead and Schmaling died Monday morning.
Mr Luedtke was born in the town of Grand Chute and for the past 18 years made his home on a farm in the town of Center. Survivors are his widow, one son, Donald, two daughters, Myrtle, town of Center and Mrs Perry Mullen, Seymour, two grandchildren, two brothers Henry, Appleton, and Edward, New London, one sister, Mrs William Westphal, Readfield.
The body was taken to the Brettschneider Funeral Home where it will remain until funeral arrangements are made.
Mrs Luedtke was taken to St. Elizabeth hospital suffering from shock as the result of her husband's death."
Appleton (WI) Post Crescent, Mon July 28, 1930, page 1
|
1879 - 1930 (50 years)