Cyrus Lucien Hinton (1882-1918)

HINTON, TARMAN

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:13

From Nevada Evening Journal August 14, 1918 (page 1)

CY L. HINTON WAS ELECTROCUTED TUESDAY AT 3:30

LOCAL LINEMAN MET WITH TRAGIC DEATH WHILE WORKING ON HIGH LINE.

Cy L. Hinton, well known lineman with the Iowa Railway and Light company and for five years connected with the local branch, met a tragic death yesterday afternoon when he was electrocuted while working on a new line on a pole below the high line at a point 2 1/4 miles north of Rhodes.

He evidently came in contact with the 1,200 volt high tension line, the left side of his head striking the wires and there were severe burns about his ear, head and shoulder and down the left arm. The current then passed diagonally through the body to the inside of the left leg which was horribly burned to the bone.

He was dead when the manage Frank Flack reached him a few moments after the fatality but there was fire smouldering in his clothing and every evidence of how he had met his death. State Center doctors were notified and within a quarter of an hour Drs. Engle and Wood were upon the scene. They pronounced him dead and no show for any help with a pulmotor or any other contrivance to induce artificial respiration.

After the doctors had examined the body and decided that an inquest was not necessary, the body was picked up and taken in an automobile to the Richardson home nearby, after which Undertaker Morfoot of this city was notified and he went down after the body.

Hinton, with Manager Flack and some of the nearby farmers had been working on a farmer line out of Rhodes. This was to have been a 2,200 volt line. Flack was making some connections at the ground while Hinton had stretched the wires, tied them in and had gone down the line about a half a mile to the corner pole where the transformer was already in place, the arms and insulators on and everything in readiness to pull the line. He had tied the copper wires to the cross arm but they were in no way connected with the live line.

There are two theories advanced as to how he came in contact with the live wires. On the pole which he was working where was the high tension wires which carried 13,200 volts and a secondary line which carried 2,300 with which he was to connect. In come way in working he may have accidentally come in contact with one of the lines, presumably the high tension line and thus met his violent death instantly.

On the other hand his death might have been due primarily to having been overcome with heat. It was intensely hot through the draw in which they were working and Mr. Flack states that it may have been that after working on the line through the draw, tieing it on and getting ready to make the pull, Hinton had become overheated and as he mounted to pole, toppled over onto the live wires or in throwing up his hands to catch himself drew over his body.

Probably Just Finished.

The circumstances point to the fact that he had about completed his task upon the pole when he met his death. The lines had both been tied to the cross arm and as his safety belt was hanging in his belt both ends snapped, it would appear that the was about ready to come down from the pole.

There was no one working near him who might have jerked one of the loose lines causing it to come in contact with the live wires and causing the accident and it appears simply to be one of those unavoidable fatal accidents and one for which no blame can be attached to others connected with the work.

Woman Saw Him Fall.

A Mrs. Brown who lives nearby the corner where he was working went to her window just in time to see him fall. She at once rushed out and into her automobile, down the road to where Flack and the others were working and told them a man had fallen from the pole. Flack at first thought that Hinton had gotten too hot and fell from the pole and grabbing the water jug, started for the scene. The woman then told him that she had seen flame and smoke come from the scene and then his mind was clear as to what had really happened and he had the doctors notified at once before he went down to the scene of the tragedy.

After the doctors had examined the body, found all indications of life extinct and that there was nothing that could be done toward resuscitation the body was taken in an automobile to the Richeson home where the workmen had had their dinner and were making their headquarters. There it was when the undertaker arrived. When it was decided that an inquest was not necessary, the body was placed in the hearse and brought to the city, where it was taken to the undertaking parlors and cared for during the night.

There it was made ready for interment and this morning was dressed and taken to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hinton of Court avenue and Walnut street awaiting the funeral which will be held Thursday afternoon at two o'clock.

Wife Was Notified.

As soon as the fatality occurred Manager Flack notified the home office by telephone and relatives of the wife in this city were notified. The wife was then found and told of the fatality which had befallen her husband.

Born In Colfax.

The deceased was born in Colfax, Iowa, and was almost 35 years of age, being born on September 22, 1883. He came to Nevada about fifteen years ago and was married to Miss Blanche Tarman in November, 1905. They had always made their home in or near Nevada. For a time they were upon one of the Tarman farms south of the city but after moving back into town. Hinton worked about at different jobs for a time until about five years ago when he went to work for the telephone company. It was about three years ago that he went to work for the Iowa Railway and Light company as a lineman and in this work he continued until his untimely death.

Cy Hinton was a careful and very efficient workman. He was always cautious and careful in his work around the deadly juice and especially so for the safety of others. He never allowed another working with him to endanger himself unnecessarily and he always took advantage of all safe methods in the work.

Personally Cy Hinton was a big, whole hearted fellow whose friends were numbered by his acquaintances. If he had an enemy in the city it is not known and he was respected and admired by all who knew him. He was generous to a fault and was a man always looking after the interests of his home and the community. He was charitable and always the first to offer his assistance, either in work or other services at the time of need.

His parents are both dead. Besides his wife, he leaves four sisters and one brother. The brother lives at Colfax and two of the sisters live in Des Moines. It is expected that these three will be here at the funeral. Two of the sisters live in California and while they have been notified they will not be able to get here for the funeral.

Funeral Tomorrow.

The funeral services will be held from the Church of Christ across from his home Thursday afternoon at 2:30, in charge of C. C. Root, pastor of that church. Interment will be in the Nevada cemetery.

The wife and other members of the family will receive the deepest sympathy of all in their hours of sad bereavement and sorrow.