The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-10-19
Killed by an Electric Shock.

Killed by an Electric Shock,
New York Times
The danger Of carelessly handling the wire
of the electric lights which are so plentiful
strung through all parts of the city was start
lingly exelnplifled yesterday in the tragi
death of Joseph Stammans, lineman in th
employ of the Brush Electric illuminating
Company. At the time he received the fata
shock Stammans was at work changing tn
wires from an old pole on the Southeast cor
ner OF Canal and Elizabeth streets to nev
pole on the northwest corner of the streets
owing to the increased height of the new pol
1t was necessary to lengthen the wire, and il
order to do this without interfering with tn
current of electricity it was necessary to max,
connections with the wire by a loop on eithe
side OF the crossbar, so that the main Wirt
could be severed after both connections were
made. The current passing through the wirel
was of $4,000 candle power The wires arr
what are known as No. 6 copper wire an
/ eighth Of an inch in diameter, and are thor
oughly insulated. To make tile loop con
/; nections it was necessary to scrape the insu
lating material from the end of the wires and
connect the naked ends, The instructions
given to llnemen by the company are nevel
to uncover the positive and negatives wires al
the same time, but to finish one connection and
have the naked wire properly "taped"-that is,
covered with rubber tape prepared for the
nUrnnca-bnfnra of tn bo
other wire. Shortly after II o'clock yesterday
morning Stammans began the work of length
ening out the wires to be shifted. The pole on
which he was at work is about 80 feet in
height, and the wires to be manipulated were
on the lowest of three crossbars. He had been
working here about 10 or Is minutes when
Frederick Layman, the assistant foreman OF
the gang employed IN the labor, who was on
the sidewalk at the foot of the pole, noticed
that there was something wrong with STAN
mans. He was clutching both the negative
and positive wires of the line, and was hang
ing limp and apparently lifeless against the
wires stretched ON the pole. His right leg was
thrown over the crossbar and he swung in
ILL., uu3 tuC WINS plCfCatllss I'LL AOlA
to the sidewalk. Layman summoned other
linemen, who climbed the pole and brought
Stammans down. He was unconscious, and
his CHASTITY appearance indicated that he had
received terrible electric shock. His COM
rades carried him to the Sixth precinct station
house, which is situated within half block of
the place. A physician was summoned, but
could do nothing for Stammans, who died
within ten minutes after being carried into
the station house. The only marks of violence
or Disagreement on the body were on the
palms of his hands, which were terribly burned
and blistered. Coroner Brady, who was noti-
fled, gave permit for the removal of the re-
mains of the dead lineman from the station
house to his late residence, No. 201 east Hud
son street, where an autopsy will be made.
Stammans was 25 years of age and was mar
ried. He had been in the employ of the Brush
Company for over year, and was regarded as
a thoroughly competent and, careful man.
Mr.. William Fl. McGrath the general super
intendent of the company, made an investiga-
ton, and found that Stammans had received
the electric shock which caused his death by
carelessly allowing his hands to come in con-
tact with the naked ends of both wires of the
line, thus forming IN arc OF his body or what
is known as short circuit, the entire current
of electricity passing through his body. He
disobeyed the positive instructions of the fore
man, who cautioned him against uncovering
both wires at the same time. He had made a
half connection on one wire, and before slap
ing" the naked ends OF the wire had removed
the insulating material from the other wire,
and while making the loop connection with
this wire the contact was made with fatal
result. Mr. McGrath said the accident must
be ascribed to the recklessness Of Stammans
who had become careless from the constant
handling of the wires without accident. 1t
is the only serious accident Of the character
that has occurred in the city.