Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 August 1920 — LETTERS FROM OUR READERS [ARTICLE]

LETTERS FROM OUR READERS

Detail* of Recent Fatal Accident to Ernest Gowland Gallen, Mich., Aug. 11, 1920. Editor Democrat? Dear Sir: Would like to correct a notice of the death of our son, Ernest H. Gowland, which appeared In The Democrat and Republican, also in several Chicago papers, of which none is correct. Ernest met his death on Tuesday morning at 7:30, as stated, but not by falling through a skylight while repairing the roof. He was a department superintendent for Swift & Co., and. on arriving at the. plant that morning took Mr. Kirby, one of his assistants, and went over to this building where they were Installing a dust-consum-ing plant. In order to get this machinery in place the contractor had a hole about 5 feet square cut in the upper floor. After the machinery had been hoisted up and after they were through with this hole, some of the workmen had merely covered It up with some tar paper to keep the dust from coming up from be low. Mr. Kirby and others showed me the place and said he and Ernest were dlscusslhg the work and moving around, when Ernest suddenly disappeared through this death-trap, falling about 40 feet to the ground floor, which was of brick. Mr. Kirby also stated that he did not know of this temporary covering, but supposed it had been properly closed, as It had not been in use for some time. The funeral was held at the Lain chapel. Sixty-third and Harvard streets, and burial made In the Mt. Hope cemetery.. H. J. GOWLAND.