Elk County KS Archives News.....FORMER HOWARD BOY BURNED TO DEATH TUESDAY December 22, 1927
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
L Morgan blueduck3248@totelcsi.com July 21, 2007, 1:26 pm

Howard Courant December 22, 1927
Willis Calvert, Employed in Oklahoma, Meets a Terrible Death

W. T. Calvert of Howard, received a dispatch Tuesday morning from Sapulpa, 
Oklahoma, that his son Willis E. Calvert, employed by the Gilmore Oil Co., at 
Sapulpa, Oklahoma had been burned to death early that morning.  Mr. Calvert 
and his son Harley at once motored to Sapulpa, Stewart Munsinger taking them 
in his car.  The body was brought to Howard yesterday morning, and the funeral 
was held in the afternoon, with burial in Grace Lawn cemetery.

The following from Tuesday's Sapulpa Herald gives the particulars of the 
accident:

Willis E. Calvert, Gilmore Oil company employee received burns which proved 
fatal to him and he died this morning at the Sapulpa hospital.

Engaged as a pipe line walker for the oil company 16 miles west of this city 
he was on his regular round when he opened a "blow off" valve on the pipe and 
left it open too long.  An explosion resulted and escaping gas from the pipe 
was ignited by a heater which had been placed under some of the tanks to keep 
the oil from freezing.

It is believed that Calvert was knocked unconscious by the explosion and he 
fell near the mouth of the pipe.  The flames playing about him burned his 
body, hospital authorities said today.  Though all efforts were extended to 
save his life, they proved futile.

Calvert was not located until after 12 o'clock last night.  At this time an 
employee of the booster plant, located near the pipes that Calvert was walking 
came to investigate the pipe flames.  His body was found and it was at first 
believed he was dead.

Help was summoned and the man was removed with the utmost care and the Lewis 
and Landrith ambulance was called.  Despite the fact that he had inhaled fumes 
from the gas and has rested in a bed of flames, he fought for life until the 
zero hour this morning; but fought a losing battle.

Relatives of the dead man in Howard, Kansas, were notified and word received 
from them asked that the body be shipped to them.

Calvert made the McCollough hotel his residence while in Sapulpa.

Willis Calvert was about 26 years old, was born in this county we believe, and 
is survived by his parents, a brother and other relatives, and a little 
daughter of four or five years of age.  He was a graduate of Howard H. S. and 
taught several terms of school in this county. For some time he has been 
working in Oklahoma.

Additional Comments:
For additonal information, please see his obituary that is posted.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/elk/newspapers/formerho144nw.txt

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