New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-15
DEAD UNDER THE DYNAMOS.
ANOTHER MAN KILLED BY ELECTRICITY.
HIS EMPLOYERS, CALLED IT HEART DIS
EAsE-HE HELD AN INCANDEsCENr
LAMP IN HIS HAND WHEN
HE WAS FOUND.

HE WAS FOUND
While worknen were tearing down electric
light wires in several parts of the city yesterday
the police of the East Eighty eightth-St station
sent out report that Patrick Sullivan, en-
ployed in the Manhattan Electric Light Companys
building at Eightieth-st. and Avenue Il, received
an electric shock and was instantly killed.
lhe reporters who went to the building little
later were told that Sullivan could not have
been killed by electric shock, he had been
found dead in the subcellar, where there were
no electric wires The subcellar is two floors
below the dynamos, and it was declared that
tle dynamos were not running while Sullivan died
Alr. Maclle, the superintendent Of the electric
light station, expressed belief that Sullivan
had died from heart disease. lie said the man
had fallen on steam pipe, and had burned his
face and left hand
Still later. when Coroner Schultze went to the
building and began an investigation, Mr. Macue
SAID that Sullivan might have been killed by
shock from wire attached to an ncandescent
electric lamp, which he had carried down into
the sub-cellar
sullivan was fireman in the employ of the
Manhattan Electric Light Company, and had
worked in the building about two years There
are six large engines in the cellar and the big
of "hefS f5e raa@ ae ,Fc,o r5Ssdn great r5 3M6
of the ly-whees is trap-door, and a wooden
ladder leads down into dark part of the sub
cellar, where there are some pump-valyes. 1t
was part OF SulIvans duty to 90 down the ladder
at regular intervals and start a pump which
forced waste water from the boilers out of a
cessp}ol. At the bottom of the ladder wele
several steam pipes. and on a pipe near the floor
he was obliged to step in order TO reach the
pump valve behind the ladder. lie usually car
fled IN his hand a pcar-slaped incandcscent cleo
tIlc lamp, attached to wires IN flexible tube
10:4O a. m. Yesterday Sullivan found dead
at the foot OF the ladder by Michael Domcy,
another fireman, who had missed him from the
cngine.room and had gone into the subcellar to
look for him Sullivan lay on of the steam
pipes and his face had been been burned by the
pire. In his left hand the incandcscent lamp
aud his palm had been burned also lie was dead
Dorney gave an alarm. and the body of Sullivan
was carried up to the floor of the engnc-rOom
after the tube and lamp had been drawn up the
ladder.
Superintendent Mac<e told the Coroner that
the lamp was supplied with 12O volts of cleo
uicity, and was believed to be safe to handle by
any one. II possible, he said, that in going
down the ladder Sullivan might have fallen ana
jerled the flexible tube against the trap-doOr
as to rub off the covering of the wires Then the
wire might have come in contact with the steam
pipe which he fell. and ne might have received
a shock Coroner Schultle sent the body of Sui
hvan TO uudertakcr's shop, and ordered an
autopsy TO determine the cause Of death. Sull-
van thirty years old, and hid "A wife and two
children living at No 50l East Eighticth-st.
He was sad 10 be sober and Industrious man.
IN examination of the incandescent lamp
which Sullivan had held in his hand, revealed
that one OF the wires was brollcn. and the end
stuck out of the rubber tube. Sullivans hand had
been in contact with the exposed end of the wire,
il was thought. and he had received a fatal shock
directly from the wire. Deputy coroner JenSns
will make an autopsy at Undertaken James Mar
ron's shop to-day to ascertain how Sullivan was
llined Coroner Schultze, however, believes
that dvp tii was caused by an electric shock.