Bio: Goggin, David W. (Electrocuted - 1938)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Goggin, Schneider, Miller, Schiller, Lyon, Schwarze, Ketchpaw, Buker

----Source: Greenwood Gleaner (Greenwood, Clark Co., Wis.) 14 Apr 1938

Goggin, David W. (Electrocuted - 9 APR 1938)

REA LINEMAN ELECTROCUTED

David W. Goggin, electrical worker, was instantly killed at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning when 6900 volts of electricity passed through his body as he was at work on the Clark County Electric Cooperative transmission line. Goggin was perched on a transformer pole when the current passed through his body.

Goggin and Robert Schneider, another lineman engaged in disconnecting the yard lines leading from the transformers along the sectional line preparatory to energizing of the line at 11:30 a.m. that morning.

About 9:30 that morning, as Goggin was working on a transformer pole on the dead line, in a field on the farm of the Albert Miller farm just west of here. The line suddenly became energized and unprepared for it, Goggin received the full charge of the current, which entered thru his right arm, passed thru his body and made its exit thru his left arm, which was badly mutilated and burned.

Schneider, standing in the road, hearing the sing of the energy as it hit the transformer insulators, started to shout a warning, when he saw the flash as the voltage struck and saw Goggin's body dangling from the transformer. Climbing the pole to aid Goggin, Schneider reached the top just as the energy suddenly went off and the body fell to the ground.

A coroner's inquest was held on Monday morning and the jury, which consisted of Tony Schiller, A.D. Lyon, H.A. Schwarze, E.L. Ketchpaw, Rug Buker and Adolph Schwarze, visited the scene of the accident and made a check-up on the line of the Globe area and disconnect station and found no signs of tampering by outsiders.

The afternoon session was held at the City Hall and was devoted to the taking of evidence from officials of Ulen Construction Company, employees of the REA and electrical experts.

After several hours of testimony the jury brought in an open verdict "that the power line was energized Goggin on April Goggin on April 9, 1938, by a person at the time of the death of David or persons unknown to this jury."

The inquest was conducted by Coroner P.C. Luxlovic of Neillsville. Goggin began work for the coop last Wednesday, coming to Clark County from Medford. He was married and leaves a wife and two children. His body was taken to Iron Mountain for burial.

The cooperative is fully covered by compensation insurance.