Person:Frederick Smelser (4)

!CENSUS:Living with mother 1900

Napa Daily Journal
Sunday April 14, 1912

KILLED BY ELECTRICITY ______________________ Fred Smelser, Power Company Lineman, Met Sudden Death at Napa Junction Saturday. ______________________ Fred Smelser, a lineman employed by the Great Western Power Company, was electrocuted Saturday morning at Napa Junction. He was engaged, with several other men, in setting a new pole in place, the pole being wet.

The top of the pole touched a heavy electric railroad power line, and Smelser and two other men were immediately knocked down. Smelser got up again, walked a few steps to the road, and then fell down dead.

Frank Oliver, one of the men injured, had his right arm burned by the electric current, and another man had his right leg burned. These two and Smelser had hold of the butt of the pole, steadying it, when the top of the pole touched the electric railroad power line.

The inquest will be held on the remains Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock.

The deceased was a native of Nevada, and 23 years of age. He had resided in Napa for the past year, coming here from Dunsmuir. He leaves a mother, Mrs. Eliza Smelser, a widow and three-months-old daughter; four brothers, J.D. and Daniel Smelser of Napa, Sterling and Henry Smelser of Nevada; and two sisters, Mrs. G.W. Reed of Dunsmuir and Mrs. Rose Easton of Colorado.

Napa Daily Journal
Tuesday April 16, 1912
Inquest in Smelser Case

The inquest on the remains of the late Fred Smelser, who was killed by an electric shock at Napa Junction Saturday, was held Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Court House here.

R. W. Jenkins, the foreman for the Western Power Company, stated that Saturday morning he had several men at work around the butt of the wet pole which they were putting in place at Napa Junction; that they were hoisting the pole by means of a block and tackle attached to an electric railroad power pole. when the new pole was about in place, the top of it touched the high voltage line of the railroad, resulting in Fred Smelser, Frank Oliver adn R. J. Livsley receiving heavy shocks of electricity. Smelser lived but a few minutes, Oliver wsa in a serious condition Monday at the Shurtleff Hospital, livsley was able to walk around Monday.

Livsley, P. Marment, J. S. Werts and J. Novak, who were in the construction gang, also told of the occurrence of Saturday morning.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death from electrocution.

Napa Daily Journal
Wednesday, April 17, 1912
Funeral of Fred Smelser

The funeral of the late Fred Smelser was held Tuesday morning at ten o'clock from Kyser's undertaking parlors, Rev. Wylie officiating. The remains were interred in Tulocay cemetery.