Mcpherson County KS Archives Obituaries.....ALLEN, Charles B. May 8, 1911 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Cic. Stetter TimeTraveler303@aol.com September 18, 2007, 8:41 pm McPherson Weekly Republican, McPherson, Kansas; Friday, May 12, 1911 Source: McPHERSON WEEKLY REPUBLICAN, McPherson, Kansas, Friday, May 12, 1911, Vol. XL No. 19, page 1 columns 1-2 and page 12 columns 1-2; microfilm #M201 available at the McPherson Public Library, McPherson, Kansas THREE MEN DEAD BURIED IN THE ALLEN SAND PIT EAST OF TOWN WAS A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT DEATHS CLAIM C. B. ALLEN, J. F. CLINE AND H. E. KING--RESCUERS WORK HARD From Tuesday's Daily. In one of the most terrible accidents in the history of the city, three men lost their lives yesterday afternoon, when without warning, they were burried (sic) beneath sand and gravel in the ALLEN sand pit two miles east of the city. The dead are J. F. CLINE, C. B. ALLEN and H. E. KING. All three have families who looked to the head of the family as the support. The accident occured (sic) at 4:30 o'clock on the west side of the pit where the men were hauling sand for the construction of buildings and foundations over the city. Mr. ALLEN, who had leased the ground from B. F. McGILL perished with those whom the accident claimed. For some time the sand crew had been working toward the west side of the bank which had caused an embankment of about twenty-five feet to hang abruptly near the place of operation. The men were working in the center of the cresent (sic) formed by the west edge of the pit and had during the last few days worked out a hollow where an especially fine grade of sand was found. The accident happened just as half a dozen men were beginning to fill a wagon load. The unfortunate men had taken their position near the wagon which had been backed into the low place with the end-gate to the west and the team ready to pull the load to a higher level to the northeast. Mr. CLINE had taken a position just back of the rear, Mr. KING in a low place a few feet toward the northwest of the wagon, while Mr. ALLEN was standing north of the rear end of the wagon. On the south side of the wagon stood in order from the west E. R. SACKETT and Sam ROBBINS besides others more removed from the base of the pit. E. LAZRELL and Harvey HALL were also near the team occupying a position north of the wagon. The team had been backed into the hollow when Mr. ROBBINS threw several scoops of sand into the wagon. At this time the sand began to flow out below while men more removed from the end of the hollow shouted to the men to run. The upper layers then began to slide and the three unfortunate men were caught thrown forward on their faces and buried from six to ten feet beneath the sand and gravel. There was but little passage-room beside the wagon and team which prevented what might have been to them a possible escape. Mr. SACKETT and ROBBINS were each injured but managed to get out of the way and so were spared. Two of the men Mr. ALLEN and KING were buried deepest and no sounds were heard, while Cline whose head was buried only about two feet was heard to groan several times. The slide had covered the rear of the wagon to the level of the box. The men who had escaped luckily, turned to rescue their comrades, getting the wagon out of the road as soon as possible, but they were almost helpless with the weight of tons and tons of sand and gravel resting over the three men. With shovels and pick they worked till they fell exhausted meanwhile however telephoning from the sorghum factory to the city for help. Dr. J. C. HALL, J. B. ALEXANDER, E. S. HYMER, W. C. HEASTON and L. F. QUANTIUS as well as the coroner D. R. MALTBY with a crew of men went in automobiles to the scene of rescue where people were fast gathering, many still in hope that the report would not be so tragic. The first of the ghastly bodies to be unearthed was that of ALLEN, who was laid on the sand while the workmen turned to the others. The blocks of clay that had tumbled down threatened to roll further and the workmen were in considerable danger removing the forms as further cave ins threatened. After, over an hour's work at which the men changed hands frequently, the body of CLINE was brought out, while the third man was unearthed after several tons of gravel had been worked away with the scraper. The bodies of the unfortunate workmen were wrapped in blankets, and taken to the MALTBY undertaking parlors where they were prepared last evening. The bodies were not crushed, death coming through suffocation. The blow to the wives of the unfortunate men, and their families can hardly be imagined. News of the tragedy was heard by Mrs. ALLEN at her home on North Cherry Street through the telephone message of her son, Chas. a boy of thirteen years whose sad duty it was to notify his mother of the accident. Mrs. ALLEN was taken to the scene and first viewed her husband's form as the men were extricating him from the debris. The CLINE family learned of it through one of the older children who was in the city shopping. Waldo, the eleven year old son of Mrs. KING heard the news while in the city and ran home to tell his mother. J. F. CLINE, who has been residing on East Euclid was 49 years of age. He came to McPherson about seven years ago. He owned the shoe store, now the Guarrantee (sic) for some time, selling it to the former owners. Since the sale he has been working most of the time at draying. He was a minister of the Church of the Brethern (sic) and was highly respected by all who knew him for his kindness. A wife and family of ten children remain to mourn the bereavement of their husband and father. The youngest of the children are just of school age. H. E. KING aged 46 years, lived with his family in the extreme southwest part of the city. The family came here two years ago from near Boston, Massachusetts. Besides the wife that is stricken with the loss of her husband, there are three children Waldo aged 11 years, Hattie 17 years, and the baby Frederick, 3 months. He has a brother Albert E. of this city and another brother, Fredrick in Massachusetts. A sister Mrs. Emma BENSON also resides in Massachussetts (sic). Mr. KING was a member of the Congregational church and carried some insurance in the Golden Order in the East. C. B. ALLEN known generally as Charley ALLEN was aged 43 years. He is an old resident coming here twenty-five years ago. He lived with his wif (sic) and four children, Creta 15 years, Chas. 13 years, Neva 10 years and Loretta 6 years old on North Cherry Street. A year ago he leased the sand pit and was superintending it. Besides his family there mourn for him two brothers, E. E. ALLEN of Salina, Marion ALLEN of Idaho, and two sisters, Mrs. Loretta AUGUSTINE of Yates Center, Kansas, and Mrs. Mary ROBERTS (sic) of Milford, Nebraska. Mr. ALLEN was a member of the A. O. U. W. carrying one thousand dollars worth of insurance in this order. Transcription Note: “Mrs. Mary ROBERTS” should have read “Mrs. Mary ROBERTSON.” THE ALLEN FUNERAL The funeral of Charley B. Allen was held from the home on North Cherry Street yesterday afternoon. The deceased was well-known and a large number of friends had gathered Rev. L. E. Simes of the M. E. church preached the sermon. At the grave the A. O. U. W. had charge of the services. The pallbearers were Stephen Nelson, W. T. Mullen, T. J. Switzer, C. C. Williams, A. Matson and Geo. Settergren. Source: "The Allen Funeral", The McPherson Daily Republican, Vol. XXVII No. 112, Thursday, May 11, 1911, page 3 column 6. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CARD OF THANKS We wish to express our very great appreciation to our friends and neighbors for the kind and helpful interest manifested during our sad berievement (sic). You have done so much for us and we can not thank you enough for your kindness. MRS. J. F. CLINE and FAMILY Source: "Card of Thanks", The McPherson Daily Republican, Vol. XXVII No. 112, Thursday, May 11, 1911, page 3 column 5. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BURIED SUNDAY The funeral services of H. E. King were held in the Congregational church this afternoon at 3 o'clock. The body will be shipped this evening on the Rock Island to Weston, Massachusetts, a city near Boston, where it will be laid to rest in the family cemetery Sunday afternoon. Albert E. King and family and Mrs. H. E. King and children will accompany the body. Mrs. King will not return, her relatives all living in the East where she will make her home. Source: "Buried Sunday", The McPherson Daily Republican, Vol. XXVII No. 111, Wednesday, May 10, 1911, page 1 column 3. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Source: The McPherson Weekly Republican, Vol. XL No. 20, Friday, May 19, 1911, page 8 or 9 columns 1, 2, and 3. {Note: KING, CLINE, and ALLEN funeral articles transcribed below.} THE KING FUNERAL From Thursday's Daily. The funeral of Henry E. King was held from the Congregational church yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Rev. Ross, the pastor of the church preached a very fitting sermon in the presence of many friends of the family that had gathered. Many flowers had been sent. The pallbearers were Geo. W. Allison, B. A. Allison, Henry Ostlind, F. J. Gateka, E. A. Hill and J. J. Haldeman. The body was shipped on the evening Rock Island train to Massachusetts where it will be buried in the family cemetery at Weston, next Sunday afternoon. THE CLINE FUNERAL From Friday's Daily. The chapel and side rooms at McPherson College were filled with the many friends that attended the funeral of J. F. Cline yesterday afternoon. It was one of the largest funerals ever held on College Hill. The pallbearers were S. P. Crumpavcker (sic), A. J. Crumpacker, Caleb Brubaker, J. P. Harshbarger, E. John and J. Hilton. The floral offerings were many and beautiful. CARD OF THANKS We wish to express our very great appreciation to our friends and neighbors for the kind and helpful interest manifested during our sad berievement (sic). You have done so much for us and we can not thank you enough for your kindness. MRS. J. F. CLINE and FAMILY THE ALLEN FUNERAL From Thursday's Daily. The funeral of Charley B. Allen was held from the home on North Cherry Street yesterday afternoon. The deceased was well-known and a large number of friends had gathered Rev. L. E. Simes of the M. E. church preached the sermon. At the grave the A. O. U. W. had charge of the services. The pallbearers were Stephen Nelson, W. T. Mullen, T. J. Switzer, C. C. Williams, A. Matson and Geo. Settergren. Additional Comments: Microfilm available at the McPherson Public Library, McPherson, Kansas; filmed by/for Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/mcpherson/obits/a/allen1834ob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ksfiles/ File size: 11.5 Kb