Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Thomas E. Stewart, 1926
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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STEWART, THOMAS E.
(8 Jul 1926, Erick Democrat, Erick, Beckham Co, OK):
With his life in the balance, T. E. Stewart, well known resident of
Lindsey lies in an Exeter hospital, victim of an explosion in the
condenser room at the Vendia substation of the Southern California Edison
Co., near Exeter, yesterday morning.
This morning hospital attendants said that there had been little or no
improvement in Stewart's condition.  He spent a very bad night.  Deep
burns about the head, neck and chest, one on the back of the head being
particularly severe, constitute the most serious injuries of the
unfortunate man.
Flaming oil from a bursting switch is believed to have enveloped Stewart. 
His hair was burned from his head and his clothes from his body.  Wm.
Bartlett, chief at the Venida station, found Stewart a flaming torch after
the explosion in the condenser room.  He succeeded in putting out the
flames with an extinguisher, and Alna Neil, a neighbor rushed the injured
man to the Sequoia sanitarium.
Stewart has not been allowed to give a complete account of the affair and
since he was alone in the condenser room at the time, the cause of the
explosion is not yet known.
Mrs. Stewart who has been employed at Santa Rosa, and Rob Stewart, the
injured man's son, were notified.  Mr. Stewart has many relatives in and
near Lindsey.  He had been employed at the Venida station but a short
time, having transferred there from line work in the Lindsey district.
The above was taken from a Lindsey paper.
The deceased is known here by a host of friends as Thomas E. Stewart.  The
above tragedy happened July 1, and Mr. Stewart died July 2nd, at 4:30 P.M.
 Relatives here received a telegram Friday night at 12:30.
Grandpa G. M. Stewart, father of the dead man is in such poor health that
relatives were unable to attend the funeral.  Our sympathy goes to the
bereaved ones.
(15 Jul 1926, Erick Democrat, Erick, Beckham Co, OK):
Funeral services were conducted Monday forenoon at the Christian church
for T. E. Stewart, who passed away Friday afternoon from burns received at
the Venida substation of the Southern California Edison Company near
Exter, California, Thursday.  Rev. J. R. Speck had charge of the services.
 Interment was in the Olive cemetery.  Deep burns on the head and upper
part of the back proved fatal.  The injuries were received Thursday
morning of last week, shortly after seven o'clock, when an oil switch in
the compensator room of the substation exploded.
Mr. Stewart had been at the Venida substation for but a few days.  He had
made excellent progress during his employment with the power company and
was taking training for further advancement when the fatal accident
intervened.
According to evidence as brought out at the inquest, held in Lindsey
Saturday afternoon, Stewart had noticed that the switches in the condenser
room were not acting properly earlier in the morning and had called
William Bartlett, chief at the station, for instructions.  Stewart was
alone in the room when the explosion occurred.  He told Bartlett and
friends who had an opportunity to talk to him, that he had gone into the
compensator room when the switches seemed to be giving trouble again and
while he was standing there, the starting switch, one of three used in
putting the condenser on the line, exploded.  the switches are known to be
dangerous, according to evidence brought out at the inquest and are always
operated by remote control, from another room.  It is believed that an arc
formed, in some manner, in the switch, exploding the oil and throwing it
over Stewart.
Mr. Stewart was 48 years of age.  He was born in Georgia, son of Mr. and
Mrs. G. M. Stewart and came to California from Texas, seven years ago.  He
had made his home in Lindsay during that time.  He is survived by a son,
Rob Stewart and the widow, Mrs. Nina Stewart, and his father G. M.
Stewart, brother, Neal, sisters, Mrs. S. N. Wilson and Mrs. C. C.
Flannagan of Erick, and a brother, S. J. Stewart of Lindsay, Calif. 
Another son, Roy, brother of the surviving boy, was killed five years ago
by an automobile, near the Jefferson school.  The deceased is a son-in-law
to E. C. Ballow.
The above was taken from a California paper.

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