Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 April 1910 — KILLED AT HAMMOND. [ARTICLE]

KILLED AT HAMMOND.

“Chick” Parke, a Mt. Ayr Boy, Dies From Contact With An Electric Light Wire. Albolit every so often we are called upon to chronicle the tragic death of some young man from this vicinity who had gone to the city to work in the shops and factories,’ and this time the victim is Hamilton Parke of Mt. Ayr, generally called “Chick,” who was working in Hammond as an electrician. He was killed Wednesday hight by coming in

contact with a live electric light wire. . The unfortunate young man was quite well kndwn in Rensselaer, having been a ball player with the Mt. Ayr team which ' has played here on several occasions. The remains were brought down from Hammond •Saturday and taken to Mt. Ayr for burial in the North Star cemetery. - The following account of the accident is taken from the Hammond Times: Hamilton IL Parke, 26 years old, of 812 Sibley was electrocuted last night by an electric light wire because of somebody’s criminal negligence. The inquest has not yet been held and the blame has consequently not been fixed, but it is apparent that there was no excuse for this dangerous wire to imperal human lives from 7:30 in the morning until ‘ 7:30 at night The inexplicable co-inci-dence in the death of Parke is that he himself was an electrician.

The wire was one belonging to the light system of the Northern Indiana Gas and Electric company, and hung at the street intersection of Sibley street and Howard avenue. Neighborhood reports, have it that the wire was torn down by an aerial truck wagon fpr the Gary Interurban and that the employees who wete working on their new line, permitted the wire to lay there without attempting to repair it or making a report. At any rate it lay there all day although there was no danger , then because the electric current had been cut off. In the evening however when the current was put on the danger was renewed. The light at this corner of course was out of commission, and anybody was in danger of coming in contact with it as it dangled from the pole. : Parke, although not killed’ on the instant, was unable to tell the story of his accident. It seems hardly creditable that he who was himself an electrician should have ventured to take hold of a wire about which he did not know whether it Was charged or not. Otherfe believe that he, realizing the danger, wanted to put the* wire farther out of danger. People however who were nearby saw a flash and then saw the young man fall to the ground. He was horribly burned, .3,500 volts having passed through his body. The auto patrol was summoned immediately and rushed the injured man to St. Margaret’s hospital, but he died by the time the institution had been reacned and the body was taken from there to the Bprns ' undertaking establishment

The first report about the live wire came to the police station about ten minutes after seven o’clock last night. The electric light company had hardly been notified when another report was received to the effect that Parke had been burned. > H. 11. Parke was employed as an electrician in the Standard Steel Car works, having resided in Hammond with his parents for three years. He was unmarried. He is survived by his parents, a married sister in Kentland, and another in Brook, and by two unmarried sisters, one residing at Brdok and tfie other at Terre Haute;’’The body will be shipped to Rensselaer Saturday and taken to Mt Ayr for burial. ”