Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 February 1909 — A BAD ACCIDENT. [ARTICLE]

A BAD ACCIDENT.

Mrs. Geo. Bales of Goodland Crippled For Life COMES IN CONTACT WITH LIVE WIRE Which Sets Fire To And Destroys Their Home—Mr. Bales Formerly Of this Qty, and His Wife Is Known To Many Rensselaer People. L. Gpodland was visited witfe/=sa- ' other fire Tuesday morning and the handsome residence of Geo. O. Bales, who was formerly engaged In the lumber business in Rensselaer, was totally destroyed and his wife crippled for life from coming in contact with an electrically charged telephone wire. Mr. Bales’ residence was one of the best in Goodland, and was Insured for >2,000 and the contents, most of which on the lower floor was saved, was injured for >4OO. The Are was discovered by E. C. at about 5:30 a. m., who was accompanying his wife to the Panhandle station to take the train for Rensselaer to visit her daughter, Mrs. Rice Porter. Mr. Fountain aroused the family and Mrs. Bales got out as soon as possible and started for a neighbor’s to get help to save their household effects. She stepped on a telephone wire, when a short distance from the house, that was down as a result of the recent storm and which was crossed by an. electric light wire and charged with electricty. She was unable to cry out or get loose from the wire. A boy named Drummond, who came to the scene, saw_her predicament and attempted to pull her away. He was knocked down from the shock, and A. P. Hawn, who was assisting in saving the household goods, saw what was the matter and hurriedly ran to her rescue, having the presence of mind to catch hold of her clothing instead of coming in contact with her body, and pulled her from the wire.

Mrs. Bales was at once taken to a doctor’s and It was found that the large toe of the left foot was burned completely off and that she was also burned near the right knee. The foot was amputated diagonally from the small toe, but it was found there was no life in the member below the ankle, and the entire foot may have to be cut off, Mrs. Bales is the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry T. Griggs, prominent and wealthy residents of Goodland, and is known to many Rensselaer people, who deeply sympathize with both her and Mr. Bales in their misfortune. Mr. Bales was for some years connected with what is now known as the Rensselaer Lumber Co., and is well known to our readers. He went from here to Goodland to take an interest in the Colburn Lumber Co., and was married to Miss Ella Griggs some two or three years ago. The Are was caused from an electric light wire becoming crossed with the telephone wire which ran into the Bales residence, and is the second fire in that town from electric light wires in the past two months, the first being that of Rufus Ross, whose fine residence was destroyed at about the same hour of the morning from the light wires coming into contact wjth the woodwork. Goodland has no all night electric service, these fires occurring after the lights are turned on" in the morning, or pqphaps one or both of these fires would have caused loss of life as well as property.