The evening world., 1888-05-12
WHERE HR NET HIS DEATH.

WHERE HR NET HIS DEATH.
THE WORLD Of last Friday almost predicted yes
terday's tragedy. 1t occurred on Broadway, the
busiest street in all the city. just above Houston
street, and on the lines of the Brush company,
which, as shown by the work of The WORLDS
special commission, are honeycombed with peril at
this very point. The Brush company. like the
81" roads, has been very lucky heretofore in the
matter OF deaths. But It's time came at last, and
the victim was an old, experienced and careful
ineman, a man who fully appreciated the dangers
Of his business, but who got caught by the yelled
dangers which menace everybody and which make
the dan gers 80 doubly dangerous. The particulars OF
this tragedy are 80 conventional as 10 be almost
commonplace, Thomas II. Murray, of Station b was
alineman OF long experience. He was formerly en-
ployed on the uptown circuits OF the Brush lines, but
there Deing 80 much complaint from imperfect
lines in the love- part Of the city he was detailed
for downtown work. His duties were those Of q
patrolman, to look out for ''trouble, " which in the
vernacular Of the business means crosses and i'm
PROJECTIONS in the lines, and he was detailed yes
terday to look over the ground which THE WORLDS
investigation had found 30 dangerous, on Broad
way, Prince, Houston ana West Third streets and
South Fifth avenue. He had q book Of diagrams
In his pocket upon which he could mark the spots
that needed looking after. doing On much repairing
as lay in his power.
Shortly after 10 o'clock In the morning Murray
reached the store of j. Blerman, Heidelbrrg a
Co., q nIm of wholesale clothiers who occupy the
second floor of Nos. GIG and 6s Broadway. Up to
within three months ago this store used the Brush
arc light, and a loop ran across Broadway and into
taken out and the loop joined Just outs de the
windows. Murray asked ana received permission
to examine his wires; He stepped out onto the Intel
den the clerks saw him siagger, trembIe and fall
across the sign, his head falling over towards the
etss.i g" what had Sappen sG,A the, a"s 'n sent
on. for Policeman Anis, VINO. strangely
smoke rising IA from the place and supposed y t Snai son 0s
tinker was at work with his charcoal name. When
the oficer reached the window he found the man
lying on the %cornice. his feet In the window and his
face turned up towards the dripping sky. He was
as dead as dead could be. His face was blue and
closed. Upon his right hand was the teii-taie marx
Of the nre which had found his soul and burned It
out Of the nesh; Inc wris. and palm and little
finger were LAID open TO the bone; the flesh was
burned to a crisp and a horrible smell Of scorched
nesn hung In the air. Sudden death had found
man, woman and child who walks the streets Of
the city, the death which menaced every man VINO
worked in that establishment Whether his foot
posing 1t to be "a : dead " line, he had voluntarily
taken hold Of IL, Will never be known. But the
death WAS there, easily within reach, and Murray
got It. And that is the story in u nutshell.
lie was unmarritd-a lucky chance-and lived at
mo-. 40 dulbO blIttl. lie Huu DCtn some VeArH
in the EN-! 10y of the Brush company. lie knew his
business and his business killed him. BY tho way,
His Honor the Mayor says the Board Of Electrical
Control Is not gentlemanly enough to do bust
ness with, and ne can take part In no operations
which viii mitigate the dangers OF this terrible
A WORLD reporter asked at the headquarters Of
the Brush company what caused this mans death.
their hands OF the business. 1t must have been his
carelessness, they SAID.
Mayor Hewitt said yesterday when asked II, as he
nnll M nIl N AIfAnl un8 VnnRA aAsl. nt
the Subway Commission, that ne would not unless
the Interests OF the city were at stake. "Wny
to insult and vituperation and have stood IT rs
long as l intend 10. AT the last meeting the men,
6eIs diSsIegarded all the rules Of Parliamentary
law. There Is no reason why i should attend the
money involved IN the work. This is all paid for
by the companies and the commissioners seem to
be acting as their agents. Stil ] would not
neglect any duty owe the city, and If at any time
the Board / snail attend the meetings. would be
willing to sit IN q pig-pen II l were called upon 10
do so In my line VI duty.
the poles and wires taken down. l wrote to Gen,
Newton asking him II he had the means to obey the
order II II was Issued, and he repiled that he had
moi, and suggested that q transfer might be made
from some otner account to meet the emergency.
have now written to ASK II be can sugges. any &C
and Il we have the money to do the work ! snail
certainly issue the order"
Every attempt Of the city authorities to secure
the people OF This city against the menace Of the
naked wires meets with failure.
81 have y bill before the Legislature, ;" said Cor
poraIion Counsel Beekman Yesterday, (Which, II
Il becomes a law, will. furnish a way TO get the
wires underground, but l begin TO fear lhat we VIII
he unable to get the Till through. IL has passed
the Senate, but II 10 now IN the hands OF the At
sembly on Cities and l cannot get IL
out Nothing has been said about the Till, a. we
did not care TO bring all the big corporations down
on US, but they havr evidently heard OF II and are
lighting II, as We nave been uuaLle u get II out Of
the hands OF the committee, although there has
not been a valid arr uInent made against II. IL Is
an act TO smend section 60 OF chapter 40 OF the
Laws Of 1882, relating 10 Tie enforcement OF
ordinances, &C., aud the proposed amendment Ia
as foliOwg:
In addition to tina remedies nov provided by law. an
action may be brought in any court Of record IA the city
aud county OF New York, in the name of the Mayor, Ala
ermon and oommunAlty II the city OF New YorS. by tue
counsel 10 the corporation when 80 instructed in writing
by the Mayor. Tor ~ purpose. OF ro'trAining the VIC a.
ton of and eufuI UlnR compliance with any ordinance.
ordnance. rule. regulation, order or other lawful re-
quu len oil any department, or otncer Of the city gov
procedure a. are prescribed in the cases wherein the
right to an injunction depends upon the nature OF the
action.
''Ihe effect OF tnis amendment would be to en-
Mayor, to at once brlng suit against the electric
companies to compel tnOm 10 remove Their poles
from the streets. The corporation counsel could
also stop the unlawful tearing up OF the streets,
portant street obstTuctio1s. In fact II Is an
Amendment which III very much needed In many
ways, Tut unfortunately there seems TO be one or
two members Of the committee who are In SYM
affected aud the bill ~ held back" Mr.. BeekmAn
would not for the world suggest that a paid LOBBY
10 keeping the hill back, aud there IL not q man in
the eectTic-light business who would not mold up
his hands In holy horror at the thought.
Deputy Coroner jenkins iounu that the wire
from which Murray received the shock was = joint