Frerichs, George 1889-1906

FRERICHS

Posted By: Doris Hoffman, Volunteer (email)
Date: 2/6/2013 at 17:14:00

HIS HEAD TORN OFF

GEORGE FRERICHS AGED SEVENTEEN MEETS A TERRIBLE FATE

CREAM SEPARATOR EXPLODES

With His Brothers and Cousins He Was Trying to Speed Machine and the Result Was Appalling

"Stop that thing" were the last words of George Frerichs, a seventeen year old boy, as he threw his hat at a cream separator which was making several thousand revolutions a minute propelled by the strength of another stout youth. A terrific explosion ensued George being killed instantly and his brothers Henry and Ernest both being badly injured.

The precise cause of the accident is hard to determine and is subject for much argument and discussion, as to whether there was a flaw in the machinery or whether the boy's hat caused the bursting of the machine.

The accident which caused the life of a fine young man occurred at the home of George Frerichs, two and a half miles west of Mammen.

On Wednesday during the noon hour, the men and boys of the George Frerichs and John Frerichs families had been engaged in putting up hay together and had got the work done by dinner time.

The older people had gone up to the house to eat and the younger boys were down in the yard. There were six of them together, three sons of John and three sons of George. They were fooling with a cream separator which stood between two large double corn cribs. One of the younger boys began to turn the machine, when another took hold to show how much faster he could make it go.

Just a few minutes before the explosion occurred George was turning the handle and his cousin Fred took a whirl at it and had just dropped the handle at the call from the house to come to dinner.

George whirled his hat as a signal to quit but the other boys are not positive whether he threw it onto the separator or whether the suction of the wind drew it there.

When the explosion occurred George, was standing directly in front of the machine. When the first shock and terrific noise was ended his brothers saw his mangled and bleeding form lying on the boards against the side of the corn crib on which was bespattered his hair, blood, and brains.

He gave a couple of gasps and then expired. The side of his head was literally torn off. The steel struck him like a bullet tearing away part of his nose, entering the eye socket and splitting his head open to the ear.

His elder brother Henry had a narrow escape from death. He was hit just over the heart by a glancing piece of the debris which inflicted a deep flesh wound, and his left eye is badly injured, and he will be fortunate if the sight is not permanently impaired.

Earnest another brother, aged nearly fourteen, had his left arm badly twisted and there is a deep cut on the inside at the elbow. His body and ribs were also badly bruised. The other three boys were around the machine escaped without a scratch.

A large piece of the cylindrical bowl was propelled through the roof of the corn crib smashing a big hole and describing a parable curve as it went sailing skywards.

Dr. Richey was sent for immediately to doctor the two boys who were injured and he quickly dressed their wornds. They were able to be in town yesterday when Henry came to have his eye attended to by a specialist in consultation with Dr. Richey.

The parents of the dead boy are distracted over the terrible accident which has robbed them of their darling and apparently can hardly realize the tragedy. The injured boys and their cousins are unable to give any very explicit account of the accident as it happened with such appalling suddenness.

George Frerichs was born in this county and lived his brief life here. He would be seventeen years old next month. He leaves several brothers and sisters besides his bereaved parents to mourn his untimely death.

The funeral will be held this afternoon at the Grant township Lutheran church, Rev. J. D. Meyer officiating.

Le Mars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
Friday, July 27, 1906
Le Mars, Iowa
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Unknown Newspaper source:

LeMars, Ia., July 30, 1906--George Frerichs, the 17-year-old son of George Frerichs, residing northwest of LeMars, was instantly killed by the bursting of a cream separator. His cousin, Frederick Frerichs, aged 21, was struck in the eye and may lose the sight of it. A younger brother of George Frerichs, named Ernest, had his arm broken. The boys were in a granary and were seeing how fast they could make the separator go, when one of them threw his hat into the machine and an explosion ensued.
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The Alton Democrat
July 28, 1906
WAYSIDE GLEANINGS.
George Frerichs, living southwest of Carnes, aged seventeen was instantly killed Wednesday by the explosion of a cream separator. A piece of the machine struck him in the face and penetrated to the brain. His cousin, Fred Frerichs was struck in the eye with a piece of the machinery and may lose the sight. Ernest Frerichs, a younger brother of George, had his arm broken. They boys were trying to see how fast they could make the separator go.
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