The Tragic Death of Alfred Rantanen near Ethelton Station.

 

Headstone of Alfred and Laura Rantanen, Cheltenham Cemetery.

On Saturday 14 August 1926, a body was found lying near the train tracks between Ethelton Train Station and the Port River. It was estimated that at about 6:24 pm, Mr Alfred Waldamer Rantanen had been walking home to Fairfield Terrace at Glanville Blocks. Rantanen used the railway bridge as a shortcut; he was struck by a train heading toward Ethelton from Adelaide.[1]

The engine driver, Thomas Trueman, had pulled into Ethelton Station and noticed that the engine's ‘grip tap’ had been turned on. He switched off the tap and proceeded to the Mile End train yards, as required. Trueman inspected his engine at the end of his shift. It was at this time he found evidence that the grip tap had struck something. There was blood and other body matter on the tap and spread over the rear of the engine.
 Trueman telephoned the Commercial Road station at Port Adelaide and told them he thought he had hit someone coming over the bridge. Porter Burden went and inspected the area and discovered, at about 9pm, the body of Rantanen. Burden, with a lamp, inspected a large area around the bridge and discovered a man's coat. He then found parts of Rantanen's body, spread out over a large area. The body was removed to Semaphore, where Sergeant Wilkin and Constable Atkinson were awaiting its arrival for inspection.[2]

The Rantanen Fund was established to help support the family. T.E. Stephens (secretary of the Port Adelaide Branch of the Driver Union) convened the committee meeting. The Mayor of Port Adelaide, A.O.R. Tap, was appointed to control the fund, while A.E. Wagner (President of the Port Drivers Union) was appointed Chairperson. S.J. Verran, a local M.P., was appointed Vice-Chairman, and J.P. Tapping, treasurer. Trustee duties fell to Alderman J Anderson, J.H. Clouston, F.J. Brown and W.E.C. Baudinet. The auditors were D.B. Mason and E.W. Russell, with Mr Stephens appointed honorary secretary.[3]

 Mrs Laura Rantanen appealed for assistance via a letter in The News. This letter sparked the community into action to form the fund. The Semaphore and Exeter Labor Party, with permission from the fund board, held a dance at the Port Adelaide Town Hall to assist in raising money. The Port Adelaide Council also agreed that a ‘tarpaulin collection’ could be held during the halftime break of a game between Port Adelaide Football Club and North Adelaide Football Club at Alberton Oval.[4]

Mr Rantanen had been a member of the Port Adelaide branch of the Ancient Order of Foresters. Mr Rantanen was also a member of the Port Adelaide branch of the Waterside Workers' Federation and was employed as a wharf labourer.[5]

  Rantanen left behind his wife and children: Emil, 17, Hilda, 14; Helma, 12 years; and Olga, 8; Walter, 4 years; and Alfred, 17 months.[6]
  Mrs Ada Dickason, of Military Road, Semaphore, and Mr August Raeinberg, who lives with his mother, are children of Mrs Rantanen's first marriage.[7]

Mr Ranatan was buried at Cheltenham Cemetery.[8]

 

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2020.

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Photograph: Find a Grave, Alfred Rantanen, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/154087178/alfred-waldemar-rantanen

[1] 'SHOCKING RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT ETHELTON.', Port Adelaide News, (20 August 1926), p. 5., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article212964328.

[2] Ibid.

[3] 'RANTANEN FUND', News, (2 September 1926), p. 13., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129700599.

[4] Ibid.

[5] 'BREADWINNER KILLED', News, (16 August 1926), p. 1., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129743998.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

 The Death of Station Master, George Wyles.

1909 "F" Class Locomotive SLSA: [B 11082] 

  George Wyles was a well-respected Station Master in Adelaide. In March 1926, he was sent to the Ethelton Railway Station to relieve Station Master Charles Field, who was on his annual leave. On his second day on the job, Wyles was struck by the 7:20pm freight train from Port Adelaide to Outer Harbour.

  John C. Cutt witnessed the tragic accident. In his statement, he described the events that unfolded. Cutt said that Wynes left the eastern platform heading towards the ticket box of the western platform. Wynes was crossing the line when he noticed a freight train was bearing down on him. Wynes jumped to try and get out of the way, but the train engine struck him on the shoulder, throwing him into the nearby fence. Wynes tried to grab the fence, but rebounded off it, into the fourth and fifth carriages of the train, pulling him underneath, and dragging him along the line.^[1]

Another witness, John Taylor, came forward at the inquest and stated:

 "the engine, which was of the F-class had five box trucks and a brake van attached to it. Mr Wynes had been across the line to give the 7.27 p.m. passenger train from Ethelton to Adelaide the ''right-of-way"' and was returning to the ticket office on the other side when the goods train went through on its way to Outer Harbour. The engine driver saw the man trying to cross the line, blew, the whistle sang out to him, and applied the emergency brake.”[2]

 The police and a doctor were called. Dr K.W. Bollen attended and pronounced Wyles dead. He stated that his injuries were horrific. Wyles' head was “shockingly mutilated, the skull being split right open, and his face was battered beyond recognition.”
Constables H. Atkinson and T. Allen removed the body to the morgue.

An inspection of the line revealed Wyles' gold pocket watch. The watch was spattered with blood, the glass broken. The watch was stopped at 7:35.[3]

Researched and written by Allen Tiller  © 2020

Photo: 1909 "F" Class Locomotive SLSA: [B 11082], https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+11082

[1] 'ETHELTON FATALITY.', Recorder, (13 March 1926), p. 1., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article95903691.

[2] 'CASUALTIES.', The Register, (13 March 1926), p. 13., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55021864.

[3] 'EFFECT OF THE CONFESSION.', The Register, (12 March 1926), p. 9., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55025267.