Manitowoc Herald-Times
Thursday, September 2, 1948
Young Liberty Farmer Killed By Electricity
Fence Charged With 7,200 Volts Touched By Gordon Hammel
Gordon C. Hammel, 23-year-old town of LIberty farm youth was electrocuted Wednesday afternoon when he came in contact with a highly charged electric fence on the Arnold Rusch farm four miles west of English lake where he was employed.
Hammel, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Hammel, route 1, Manitowoc, along with Raymond Rusch, 13, a son of his employer, had been repairing the single strand electric fence about three-fourths of a mile east of the farm home during the morning hours. The fence normally carries six volts of electricity.
After eating their noon meal at the Rusch home the pair returned to their work shortly after 2 o'clock. However, during the noon hour a high wind had blown a tree down along the town road some distance from the point where the accident occurred. The tree, water soaked from rain, had fallen across high tension wires and also contacted the fence below, charging the strand with 7,200 volts.
Inhalator Used
It is believed that Hammel, in crawling over the fence, touched the wire with his leg and was killed instantly as the electricity, passing down through the tree, entered his body. Young Rusch grabbed him by the clothing but also received a slight charge and could not free Hatnmel. The boy then ran to his home and returned with his father, who removed the unconscious form from the wire with a dry pole.
A call was put in for the Meihsner ambulance here and before leaving the city, Clarence Meihsner said he radioed the sheriff's office to send the county's inhalator to the scene of the accident. Radio operator Walter Blesemeyer and traffic officer John Meneau left immediately with that equipment.
Arriving at the side of the unconscious Hammel about 10 minutes before the county officers, Meihsner and his assistant, Don Waak, applied artificial respiration until the inhalator was brought out. The officers administered oxygen for nearly an hour but were unable to revive the youth.
Third This Year
Coroner Theodore Teitgen was called and pronounced Hammel dead. He said it is probable that death occurred the moment his body came in contact with the fence. No inquest will be held. The electrocution was the third in Manitowoc county this year.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Berge funeral home in Valders and at 3:30 at the Trinity Lutheran church in Liberty with the Rev. Albert Geiger officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Star Athlete
Born on his parents' farm in the town of Liberty in 1924, Gordon graduated from Valders high school with the class of 1943. He was a member of the football and track teams and captian of the latter squad in his senior year. A pitcher for the Collins softball team, he was recognized as one of the better hurlers in Manitowoc county rural softball circles.
Surviving, in addition to the parents, are two brothers, Leroy and Donald, at home; two sisters, Mrs. Jerome Schmidt of Valders and Lucille at home, and the paternal grandmother, Mrs. Louis Hammel Sr., of Milwaukee.
The body may be viewed at the Berge funeral home from Friday at 3 p.m. until the time of services Saturday afternoon.
Thursday, September 2, 1948
Young Liberty Farmer Killed By Electricity
Fence Charged With 7,200 Volts Touched By Gordon Hammel
Gordon C. Hammel, 23-year-old town of LIberty farm youth was electrocuted Wednesday afternoon when he came in contact with a highly charged electric fence on the Arnold Rusch farm four miles west of English lake where he was employed.
Hammel, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Hammel, route 1, Manitowoc, along with Raymond Rusch, 13, a son of his employer, had been repairing the single strand electric fence about three-fourths of a mile east of the farm home during the morning hours. The fence normally carries six volts of electricity.
After eating their noon meal at the Rusch home the pair returned to their work shortly after 2 o'clock. However, during the noon hour a high wind had blown a tree down along the town road some distance from the point where the accident occurred. The tree, water soaked from rain, had fallen across high tension wires and also contacted the fence below, charging the strand with 7,200 volts.
Inhalator Used
It is believed that Hammel, in crawling over the fence, touched the wire with his leg and was killed instantly as the electricity, passing down through the tree, entered his body. Young Rusch grabbed him by the clothing but also received a slight charge and could not free Hatnmel. The boy then ran to his home and returned with his father, who removed the unconscious form from the wire with a dry pole.
A call was put in for the Meihsner ambulance here and before leaving the city, Clarence Meihsner said he radioed the sheriff's office to send the county's inhalator to the scene of the accident. Radio operator Walter Blesemeyer and traffic officer John Meneau left immediately with that equipment.
Arriving at the side of the unconscious Hammel about 10 minutes before the county officers, Meihsner and his assistant, Don Waak, applied artificial respiration until the inhalator was brought out. The officers administered oxygen for nearly an hour but were unable to revive the youth.
Third This Year
Coroner Theodore Teitgen was called and pronounced Hammel dead. He said it is probable that death occurred the moment his body came in contact with the fence. No inquest will be held. The electrocution was the third in Manitowoc county this year.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Berge funeral home in Valders and at 3:30 at the Trinity Lutheran church in Liberty with the Rev. Albert Geiger officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Star Athlete
Born on his parents' farm in the town of Liberty in 1924, Gordon graduated from Valders high school with the class of 1943. He was a member of the football and track teams and captian of the latter squad in his senior year. A pitcher for the Collins softball team, he was recognized as one of the better hurlers in Manitowoc county rural softball circles.
Surviving, in addition to the parents, are two brothers, Leroy and Donald, at home; two sisters, Mrs. Jerome Schmidt of Valders and Lucille at home, and the paternal grandmother, Mrs. Louis Hammel Sr., of Milwaukee.
The body may be viewed at the Berge funeral home from Friday at 3 p.m. until the time of services Saturday afternoon.
Manitowoc Herald-Times
Thursday, September 2, 1948
Young Liberty Farmer Killed By Electricity
Fence Charged With 7,200 Volts Touched By Gordon Hammel
Gordon C. Hammel, 23-year-old town of LIberty farm youth was electrocuted Wednesday afternoon when he came in contact with a highly charged electric fence on the Arnold Rusch farm four miles west of English lake where he was employed.
Hammel, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Hammel, route 1, Manitowoc, along with Raymond Rusch, 13, a son of his employer, had been repairing the single strand electric fence about three-fourths of a mile east of the farm home during the morning hours. The fence normally carries six volts of electricity.
After eating their noon meal at the Rusch home the pair returned to their work shortly after 2 o'clock. However, during the noon hour a high wind had blown a tree down along the town road some distance from the point where the accident occurred. The tree, water soaked from rain, had fallen across high tension wires and also contacted the fence below, charging the strand with 7,200 volts.
Inhalator Used
It is believed that Hammel, in crawling over the fence, touched the wire with his leg and was killed instantly as the electricity, passing down through the tree, entered his body. Young Rusch grabbed him by the clothing but also received a slight charge and could not free Hatnmel. The boy then ran to his home and returned with his father, who removed the unconscious form from the wire with a dry pole.
A call was put in for the Meihsner ambulance here and before leaving the city, Clarence Meihsner said he radioed the sheriff's office to send the county's inhalator to the scene of the accident. Radio operator Walter Blesemeyer and traffic officer John Meneau left immediately with that equipment.
Arriving at the side of the unconscious Hammel about 10 minutes before the county officers, Meihsner and his assistant, Don Waak, applied artificial respiration until the inhalator was brought out. The officers administered oxygen for nearly an hour but were unable to revive the youth.
Third This Year
Coroner Theodore Teitgen was called and pronounced Hammel dead. He said it is probable that death occurred the moment his body came in contact with the fence. No inquest will be held. The electrocution was the third in Manitowoc county this year.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Berge funeral home in Valders and at 3:30 at the Trinity Lutheran church in Liberty with the Rev. Albert Geiger officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Star Athlete
Born on his parents' farm in the town of Liberty in 1924, Gordon graduated from Valders high school with the class of 1943. He was a member of the football and track teams and captian of the latter squad in his senior year. A pitcher for the Collins softball team, he was recognized as one of the better hurlers in Manitowoc county rural softball circles.
Surviving, in addition to the parents, are two brothers, Leroy and Donald, at home; two sisters, Mrs. Jerome Schmidt of Valders and Lucille at home, and the paternal grandmother, Mrs. Louis Hammel Sr., of Milwaukee.
The body may be viewed at the Berge funeral home from Friday at 3 p.m. until the time of services Saturday afternoon.
Thursday, September 2, 1948
Young Liberty Farmer Killed By Electricity
Fence Charged With 7,200 Volts Touched By Gordon Hammel
Gordon C. Hammel, 23-year-old town of LIberty farm youth was electrocuted Wednesday afternoon when he came in contact with a highly charged electric fence on the Arnold Rusch farm four miles west of English lake where he was employed.
Hammel, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Hammel, route 1, Manitowoc, along with Raymond Rusch, 13, a son of his employer, had been repairing the single strand electric fence about three-fourths of a mile east of the farm home during the morning hours. The fence normally carries six volts of electricity.
After eating their noon meal at the Rusch home the pair returned to their work shortly after 2 o'clock. However, during the noon hour a high wind had blown a tree down along the town road some distance from the point where the accident occurred. The tree, water soaked from rain, had fallen across high tension wires and also contacted the fence below, charging the strand with 7,200 volts.
Inhalator Used
It is believed that Hammel, in crawling over the fence, touched the wire with his leg and was killed instantly as the electricity, passing down through the tree, entered his body. Young Rusch grabbed him by the clothing but also received a slight charge and could not free Hatnmel. The boy then ran to his home and returned with his father, who removed the unconscious form from the wire with a dry pole.
A call was put in for the Meihsner ambulance here and before leaving the city, Clarence Meihsner said he radioed the sheriff's office to send the county's inhalator to the scene of the accident. Radio operator Walter Blesemeyer and traffic officer John Meneau left immediately with that equipment.
Arriving at the side of the unconscious Hammel about 10 minutes before the county officers, Meihsner and his assistant, Don Waak, applied artificial respiration until the inhalator was brought out. The officers administered oxygen for nearly an hour but were unable to revive the youth.
Third This Year
Coroner Theodore Teitgen was called and pronounced Hammel dead. He said it is probable that death occurred the moment his body came in contact with the fence. No inquest will be held. The electrocution was the third in Manitowoc county this year.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Berge funeral home in Valders and at 3:30 at the Trinity Lutheran church in Liberty with the Rev. Albert Geiger officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Star Athlete
Born on his parents' farm in the town of Liberty in 1924, Gordon graduated from Valders high school with the class of 1943. He was a member of the football and track teams and captian of the latter squad in his senior year. A pitcher for the Collins softball team, he was recognized as one of the better hurlers in Manitowoc county rural softball circles.
Surviving, in addition to the parents, are two brothers, Leroy and Donald, at home; two sisters, Mrs. Jerome Schmidt of Valders and Lucille at home, and the paternal grandmother, Mrs. Louis Hammel Sr., of Milwaukee.
The body may be viewed at the Berge funeral home from Friday at 3 p.m. until the time of services Saturday afternoon.
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