ASPHYXIATED.

The Fate of Andrew M. Gunderson.

Andrew H. Gunderson, employed at the gas works of the Red Wing Gas & Electric company, met sudden death yesterday afternoon. He is employed at the place as a gas marker. The records show that at 2:11 o'clock yesterday afternoon, he commenced to make gas. He noticed a leak in the pipes and had gone to the purifying room to repair the same. At 2:30 o'clock his lifeless body was found in the room by John Mayer. Death had been caused by asphyxiation.

The floor in the purifying room is of brick. Against this Mr. Gunderson had fallen, badly bruising his face and making a deep cut above the left eye.

As soon as Mr. Gunderson was found medical aid was summoned, but all to no avail as life was already extinct.

Mr. Gunderson was born in Nedre Sjördalen, Norway, on January 23, 1855. He has been a resident of Red Wing for the past eighteen years. For a number of years he served on the police force but for the past one and one-half years he has been employed at the gas works.

He leaves a wife and four children to mourn his death. The children are Herman, Henry, Tilda and Alton.

The funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, the the residence, 120 East Fourth street, and later at St. Peter's Norwegian Lutheran church, Rev. O. S. Meland officiating.

A coroner's jury was held over the remains, yesterday afternoon, at 5 o'clock.

The jury consisted of W. S. Vent, Geo. F. Gross, Robert Ringstrom, C. H. Boxrud, P. Thompson and C. W. Lee.

John Mayer was the first witness. He is employed at the gas works and had found the deceased in the purifying room at 2:30 o'clock. The deceased was lying on his face on the brick floor. The gas in the room smelled stronger than usual. The witness had called for help and then carried Gunderson up stairs.

James H. Majors was then called. The purifying room is all pipes. It does not always smell, but yesterday it did. Had often smelled it worse than it did yesterday. He supposed that there had been a "choke" in the pipes or else the water in the tar pot was too low and had blown up. With such a smell he thought that a man could stand it about two minutes.

C. F. Hjermstad, secretary and manager of the gas works, was the next witness. The deceased was employed as gas maker at the place. It was his business to look after the pipes when this "choking" occurred. The records showed that he went onto the purifying room at 2:11 o'clock; it was 2:30 o'clock when they found him there dead. There is a trap door in the room which is always open for the escape of gas.

Dr. F. W. Dimmitt had been called to attend Mr. Gunderson. The man was then dead, but to make sure he tried artificial respiration, but all to no avail.

Dr. B. Jaehnig had also been called. He agreed with the former witness.

The jury then returned a verdict that deceased had come to his death by inhaling water gas.

If you are related to Andrew Gunderson or his wife, Anne Bergitte Gunderson, I would love to hear from you. Anne Bergitte is a member of my family. I have a couple of photos that I believe are of them, and I would like to positively identify them. Click here to contact me.