William E. Batteen

BATTEEN, ROTHERMEL, THOMPSON, RETTINGER LENZ, SCHEUDEL, PAHLOR

Posted By: Diana Diedrich (email)
Date: 8/5/2005 at 11:50:24

Monday's Sad Fatility

The city's usual quiet was disturbed Monday by a frightful fatality at the farm home of Wm. Batteen, three miles west of town, which resulted in his instant death and severe injuries to his hired man, Henry Pahlor. The accident happened about 3 p.m. and by 4 o'clock was current in the city and caused unusual sorrow. Mr. Batteen and the hired man were engaged in re-filling and attempting to make some needed repairs to the carbide tank of his lighting system which was not working just right and which ws located on the hillside about midway between the house and barn. Mr. Batteen was on a ladder and had removed the top of the tank to get at the interior container when the explosion occurred. No reason can be assigned for it, as Mr. Batteen was known to be careful about smoking whenever he worked about the tank. The inside container was blown fifty feet in the air and Mr. Batteen hurled from the ladder to the ground, fifteen or twenty feet, and no douby instantly killed by the gas. His assistant was severly burned about the head and face and badly bruised and battered by the teriffic explosion, but is recovering from the shock and will suffer no serious injury.

Dr. Frederickson was called to the scene and labored with a pulmotor for two hours but with no avail. The victim was evidently gassed and instantly killed.

Deceased was born in Iowa township March 15, 1884. On Sept. 15, 1909, he was married to Selma Laabs, who survives him with two sons and a daughter. Besides his immediate family he leaves four sisters, Mrs. Harry Thompson, of Long Beach, California, Mrs. H. J. Rettinger, of this city, Mrs. Harry Lenz, of Center township, and Mrs. F. Scheudel, of Sparta, Wis.; also three brothers, Ferdinand, Fred and Charley, the latter of Sparta, Wis., and two half-brothers, August, of New Albin, and Gustave, of Cando, N.D.

For a time after his marriage Mr. Batteen lived near Eagle Bend, Minnesota, but with that exception his entire life was spent in the county of his birth. He was of a genial disposition, loved company and was the life of all social gatherings he attended. He was one of Allamakee's best and most successful farmers.

The funeral takes place from the family home tommorrow afternoon at 1:30 o'clock, Rev. Kegel officiating and interment in Oak Hill cemetery.

Allamakee Journal, Jan. 24, 1923 Page 7
William Batteen was the son of August and Helen Rothermel Batteen.