Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1904 — The Oil Fields Fatality. [ARTICLE]

The Oil Fields Fatality.

R. M Grimes Meets Death in a Big Oil Tank. Coroner Wright held his inquest Wednesday on the body of R. M. Grimes, commonly known as Monroe Grimes, whose death that day by a lamentable accident was briefly mentioned. It seems that Grimes, who has been working for the Indiana Company for about nine months, was, early Wednesday morning, ordered by the foreman to inspect a large crude oil storage tank, a few hundred yards from the refinery to see if the feed ptpes were frozen np. Grimes asked if he should put on his rubber boots and go into the tank but the foreman said no, for

the tanks were dangerous places. The foreman then went to hie breakfast, and about 20 minutes later, Grimes was missed, and the searoh for him was begun. There is a man hole in these tanks, to clean them, and it is about two feet above-the bottom. As the tank was known to be nearly empty this man-hole was opened, and Grimes was found inside the tank, floating in the oil, face upwards

It was evident that he had disregarded the order of the foreman, and had gone into the tank. This he did by goiDg up the ladder which runs up the ontside of the tanky enrves over its top, and then goes on down inside to the bottom. Grimes probably went down the (adder nearly or qnite to the oil and was then overcome by the gas above it and fell off the ladder backwards into the oil. The fall no doubt submerged him in the oil, but it being very danse and heavy be rose and floated upon it. Therefore he was not drowned or suffocated by the oil but asphyxiated by the gas. The oil was only 8 or 10 inobes deep in the tank, and he could easily have got out had he not been helpless from the gas. There no marks or bruises to show that he fell any considerable distance.

Parties tried to go down the ladder after him before they opened the man-hole, but the gas was so strong they tnrned back after going down part way. Grimes was a very steady and reliable man. He was about 38 years old and leaves a widow and three children, ;-.nd in very poor circumstances.