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Son of Samuel E. & Melissa M. (Myers) Huffmire.
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Chanute Tribune Saturday 11 June 1938
Death Strikes in Storm Here
Death struck during last night's storm here, when an electric power line carrying 2,400 - volts felled by gale, caused the electrocution of William Wallace Huffmire 78 of 420 North Lafayette.
The aged man met a horrible death when he stepped on a fallen wire, which was strewn across the street at the intersection of Washington Avenue & Chestnut Street, according to fireman who were called to the scene.
When he stepped on the wire he apparently fell face down upon the full length of the line. The wire burned through his body witnesses to this tragedy said, splitting his form in two.
Mr. Huffmire apparently failing to hear the warning shouted to him by L. P. Pittser of 316 North Lafayette, who was stag with his wife on the front porch of their residence as Huffmire rapidly came toward the wire.
Mr. & Mrs. Pittser were just across the street Southwest of where Mr. Huffmire was killed. The fallen wire, which extended form some distance up an ally back of A. M. Turner residence 401 North Washington was spitting sparks near a garage just North of where Mr. Huffmire stepped on the wire.
"Mr. Huffmire must have noticed the sparks & was coming to warn Mr. Turner that his garage would catch fire." Mrs. Pittser said. As he came running down the side walk from the west along Chestnut Street Mr. Pittser yelled at him to stop Mr. Huffmire was rather hard of hearing I guess he didn't hear my husband warn him.
"Seeing him coming nearer to the wire Mr. Pittser called out as loud as he could For God sake man don't come any closer there's a live wire in front of you."
" Mr. Huffmire must have heard the second warning for he paused & came walking slower toward the wire" Mrs. Pittser related. "Suddenly as my husband still shouting out warnings Mr. Huffmire stepped on the wire. There was a big spark & he seemed to fall to the ground very fast. As he lay there on the wire his whole body seemed to glow & sparks shot out from him.
" We called fire department & after that there was nothing we could do."
The fireman arrived on the scene hurriedly, & in turn the electric department was notified. As quick as possible all within the space of a few minutes a line-man climbed atop a pole & severed the live wire. Mr. Huffman's body was so badly burned that it was immediately apparent the accident claimed his life, fireman said.
It was believed a falling limb severed the wire. A streak several inches wide was burned in the grass where the wire fell.
The accident occurred about 11:30pm.
Mr. Huffmire was born in Indiana on 05 Aug 1859 & moved to the area about 59 years ago.
Mr. Huffmire was a member of the First Brethren Church.
Mr. Huffmire is survived by wife of home; two daughters one of Kansas; one of California; one son of Kansas; & a sister of Indiana.
Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm in the Wilson - Johnson chapel with interment in Leanna Cemetery.
*****
The above obituary was provided by:
The Chanute Historical Society
Bio information by family member Raymond L. Brown.
*************************************
Son of Samuel E. & Melissa M. (Myers) Huffmire.
**************************************
Chanute Tribune Saturday 11 June 1938
Death Strikes in Storm Here
Death struck during last night's storm here, when an electric power line carrying 2,400 - volts felled by gale, caused the electrocution of William Wallace Huffmire 78 of 420 North Lafayette.
The aged man met a horrible death when he stepped on a fallen wire, which was strewn across the street at the intersection of Washington Avenue & Chestnut Street, according to fireman who were called to the scene.
When he stepped on the wire he apparently fell face down upon the full length of the line. The wire burned through his body witnesses to this tragedy said, splitting his form in two.
Mr. Huffmire apparently failing to hear the warning shouted to him by L. P. Pittser of 316 North Lafayette, who was stag with his wife on the front porch of their residence as Huffmire rapidly came toward the wire.
Mr. & Mrs. Pittser were just across the street Southwest of where Mr. Huffmire was killed. The fallen wire, which extended form some distance up an ally back of A. M. Turner residence 401 North Washington was spitting sparks near a garage just North of where Mr. Huffmire stepped on the wire.
"Mr. Huffmire must have noticed the sparks & was coming to warn Mr. Turner that his garage would catch fire." Mrs. Pittser said. As he came running down the side walk from the west along Chestnut Street Mr. Pittser yelled at him to stop Mr. Huffmire was rather hard of hearing I guess he didn't hear my husband warn him.
"Seeing him coming nearer to the wire Mr. Pittser called out as loud as he could For God sake man don't come any closer there's a live wire in front of you."
" Mr. Huffmire must have heard the second warning for he paused & came walking slower toward the wire" Mrs. Pittser related. "Suddenly as my husband still shouting out warnings Mr. Huffmire stepped on the wire. There was a big spark & he seemed to fall to the ground very fast. As he lay there on the wire his whole body seemed to glow & sparks shot out from him.
" We called fire department & after that there was nothing we could do."
The fireman arrived on the scene hurriedly, & in turn the electric department was notified. As quick as possible all within the space of a few minutes a line-man climbed atop a pole & severed the live wire. Mr. Huffman's body was so badly burned that it was immediately apparent the accident claimed his life, fireman said.
It was believed a falling limb severed the wire. A streak several inches wide was burned in the grass where the wire fell.
The accident occurred about 11:30pm.
Mr. Huffmire was born in Indiana on 05 Aug 1859 & moved to the area about 59 years ago.
Mr. Huffmire was a member of the First Brethren Church.
Mr. Huffmire is survived by wife of home; two daughters one of Kansas; one of California; one son of Kansas; & a sister of Indiana.
Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm in the Wilson - Johnson chapel with interment in Leanna Cemetery.
*****
The above obituary was provided by:
The Chanute Historical Society
Bio information by family member Raymond L. Brown.
*************************************
*************************************
Son of Samuel E. & Melissa M. (Myers) Huffmire.
**************************************
Chanute Tribune Saturday 11 June 1938
Death Strikes in Storm Here
Death struck during last night's storm here, when an electric power line carrying 2,400 - volts felled by gale, caused the electrocution of William Wallace Huffmire 78 of 420 North Lafayette.
The aged man met a horrible death when he stepped on a fallen wire, which was strewn across the street at the intersection of Washington Avenue & Chestnut Street, according to fireman who were called to the scene.
When he stepped on the wire he apparently fell face down upon the full length of the line. The wire burned through his body witnesses to this tragedy said, splitting his form in two.
Mr. Huffmire apparently failing to hear the warning shouted to him by L. P. Pittser of 316 North Lafayette, who was stag with his wife on the front porch of their residence as Huffmire rapidly came toward the wire.
Mr. & Mrs. Pittser were just across the street Southwest of where Mr. Huffmire was killed. The fallen wire, which extended form some distance up an ally back of A. M. Turner residence 401 North Washington was spitting sparks near a garage just North of where Mr. Huffmire stepped on the wire.
"Mr. Huffmire must have noticed the sparks & was coming to warn Mr. Turner that his garage would catch fire." Mrs. Pittser said. As he came running down the side walk from the west along Chestnut Street Mr. Pittser yelled at him to stop Mr. Huffmire was rather hard of hearing I guess he didn't hear my husband warn him.
"Seeing him coming nearer to the wire Mr. Pittser called out as loud as he could For God sake man don't come any closer there's a live wire in front of you."
" Mr. Huffmire must have heard the second warning for he paused & came walking slower toward the wire" Mrs. Pittser related. "Suddenly as my husband still shouting out warnings Mr. Huffmire stepped on the wire. There was a big spark & he seemed to fall to the ground very fast. As he lay there on the wire his whole body seemed to glow & sparks shot out from him.
" We called fire department & after that there was nothing we could do."
The fireman arrived on the scene hurriedly, & in turn the electric department was notified. As quick as possible all within the space of a few minutes a line-man climbed atop a pole & severed the live wire. Mr. Huffman's body was so badly burned that it was immediately apparent the accident claimed his life, fireman said.
It was believed a falling limb severed the wire. A streak several inches wide was burned in the grass where the wire fell.
The accident occurred about 11:30pm.
Mr. Huffmire was born in Indiana on 05 Aug 1859 & moved to the area about 59 years ago.
Mr. Huffmire was a member of the First Brethren Church.
Mr. Huffmire is survived by wife of home; two daughters one of Kansas; one of California; one son of Kansas; & a sister of Indiana.
Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm in the Wilson - Johnson chapel with interment in Leanna Cemetery.
*****
The above obituary was provided by:
The Chanute Historical Society
Bio information by family member Raymond L. Brown.
*************************************
Son of Samuel E. & Melissa M. (Myers) Huffmire.
**************************************
Chanute Tribune Saturday 11 June 1938
Death Strikes in Storm Here
Death struck during last night's storm here, when an electric power line carrying 2,400 - volts felled by gale, caused the electrocution of William Wallace Huffmire 78 of 420 North Lafayette.
The aged man met a horrible death when he stepped on a fallen wire, which was strewn across the street at the intersection of Washington Avenue & Chestnut Street, according to fireman who were called to the scene.
When he stepped on the wire he apparently fell face down upon the full length of the line. The wire burned through his body witnesses to this tragedy said, splitting his form in two.
Mr. Huffmire apparently failing to hear the warning shouted to him by L. P. Pittser of 316 North Lafayette, who was stag with his wife on the front porch of their residence as Huffmire rapidly came toward the wire.
Mr. & Mrs. Pittser were just across the street Southwest of where Mr. Huffmire was killed. The fallen wire, which extended form some distance up an ally back of A. M. Turner residence 401 North Washington was spitting sparks near a garage just North of where Mr. Huffmire stepped on the wire.
"Mr. Huffmire must have noticed the sparks & was coming to warn Mr. Turner that his garage would catch fire." Mrs. Pittser said. As he came running down the side walk from the west along Chestnut Street Mr. Pittser yelled at him to stop Mr. Huffmire was rather hard of hearing I guess he didn't hear my husband warn him.
"Seeing him coming nearer to the wire Mr. Pittser called out as loud as he could For God sake man don't come any closer there's a live wire in front of you."
" Mr. Huffmire must have heard the second warning for he paused & came walking slower toward the wire" Mrs. Pittser related. "Suddenly as my husband still shouting out warnings Mr. Huffmire stepped on the wire. There was a big spark & he seemed to fall to the ground very fast. As he lay there on the wire his whole body seemed to glow & sparks shot out from him.
" We called fire department & after that there was nothing we could do."
The fireman arrived on the scene hurriedly, & in turn the electric department was notified. As quick as possible all within the space of a few minutes a line-man climbed atop a pole & severed the live wire. Mr. Huffman's body was so badly burned that it was immediately apparent the accident claimed his life, fireman said.
It was believed a falling limb severed the wire. A streak several inches wide was burned in the grass where the wire fell.
The accident occurred about 11:30pm.
Mr. Huffmire was born in Indiana on 05 Aug 1859 & moved to the area about 59 years ago.
Mr. Huffmire was a member of the First Brethren Church.
Mr. Huffmire is survived by wife of home; two daughters one of Kansas; one of California; one son of Kansas; & a sister of Indiana.
Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm in the Wilson - Johnson chapel with interment in Leanna Cemetery.
*****
The above obituary was provided by:
The Chanute Historical Society
Bio information by family member Raymond L. Brown.
*************************************
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