5th Jun 1924 |
Died in Roxana, Madison, Illinois, USA.1,2,3 Electrocution
From: Alton Evening Telegraph, Thursday, June 5, 1924; Page 1, Column4:
Electric Current
Flashes Down Tape
Kills Young Man
Charles Glassbrenner, aged 21, member of a surveying party employed bythe Illinois Terminal railroad, was killed this morning by a highpowered electric current, just outside the Roxana Petroleum Co. plant.The fact that the tape that was being used in the engineering corpswith, which Glassbrenner was connected, had enough metal in it toserve as a good conductor of electricity, caused the fatal current toenter Glassbrenner’s body when he caught the tape in his hands afterit had been thrown over the electric wire, about thirty feet from theground.
Efforts were made for an hour to revive the young man without availand finally the doctors summoned to help out decided that he was dead.
He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Glassbrenner of Alton and was alife long resident of Alton. He has been employed on the IllinoisTerminal only a few months as a member of the engineering corps, Hiscousin, Emmett Glassbrenner, was in the Roxana office at the time ofthe electrocution and he hurried to the scene and was present duringthe efforts to revive the young man. There was scant hope ofresuscitating him at any time after the accident.
It was said at the office of the Illinois Terminal this afternoon thatthe way the tape happened to be over the high tension wire was it wascaught in the wind and drifted over the wire. Glassbrenner was workingwith the engineer, Bert Larue, and while waiting for the engineer tofinish some work, was holding the tape in his hands. He was tossing itin the air a few feet and catching it again, to pass away the timewhen the wind caught the tape and lifted it up in the air about 30feet over a high tension electric line. It hung on the wire andGlassbrenner grasped it for the purpose of pulling it down again.There were four copper wires in the cloth tape and they carried thecurrent down to him. Oxygen and other means of restoring consciousnesswere used without avail. It is said that Glassbrenner probably neverthought of the copper wire in the tape when he grasped the tape at theground end and received the full force of the current through hisbody.
Charles Glassbrenner was a very popular young man and highly esteemedby all who knew him. He leaves beside his parents, three brothers,Lester, Herschel and Paul and one sister, Mrs. Ruth Kinney.
From: Alton Evening Telegraph, Friday, June 6, 1924; Page 3, Column 6:
Funeral Charles
Glassbrenner Sunday
Funeral services for Charles Glassbrenner, who was electrocutedyesterday near Roxana, will be held Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock fromthe home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Glassbrenner, of 613East Fifth street. Interment will be in Oakwood cemetery.
From: Alton Evening Telegraph, Monday, June 9, 1924; Page 1, Column 3:
Charles Glassbrenner
Buried Sunday Afternoon
The funeral of Charles Glassbrenner was held Sunday afternoon from thehome of the young man’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Glassbrenner, onEast Fifth street. Services were conducted by the Rev. F. D. Butler,rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal church. The funeral was an unusuallylarge one, attended by relatives and friends of the young man who meta most untimely death last week. Glassbrenner was electrocuted nearthe plant of the Roxana Refinery.
Interment was in Oakwood cemetery, under a heavy blanket of flowers.The Rev. Butler also conducted services at the graveside.
The pallbearers were Alphonse Buese, Paul Graff, Earl Long, EdwardRousseau, Frank Budde and Alton Hildebrand. |
