Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-12-12
AsorHnn VIor1M or THE ouHRENr


AiDem8u Peter dlauseu rkOhsteu 10
BcIlti, in Nlid AR isl Now EOrik.
NEW YoRK, Dec. l0.--Another lineman
met bis death yesterday in q manner sim.
liar to that by which Feeks was killed
several weeks ago. AS in the case OF
Feeks, yesterdays victim received q shock
while repairing wire on the top of o
polo, and fell across tEe wires and IVES
roasted to death.
The latest victim Of electricity was
Peter Clausen, Dane, "a years old. who
was employed by the Northern New York
Electric lighting Company. he lived
with his young wife at 553 East One
Hundred and Thirty-si street. The
accident occurred at the corner of Third
avenue and One Hundred and Fifty-sixth
street. At this corner there is pole
about 80 feet high, with two ozoss- pieces.
On the top ross-piece number OF teie-
graph wires are strung, eEd on the lower
one there are two electric light wires one
OF which is connected with q lamp in
front OF drug store at No. 3047 Third
avenue. The lamp did not burn on Sun
day night, and yesterday the company
sent Lineman Clausen to repair the wire.
1t was about 4.30 in the afternoon
when Clausen climbed the pole. He
slraddled the lower cross-piece and began
to make what repairs we're required.
number of children were playing on the
sidewalk at the foot of the pole. Sud-
denly one of them -- Mamie Dahl
alarmed the people of the neighborhood
by crying Fire" Several persons at
once rushed out Of the houses in the
vicinity and found Mamie pointing to the
man on the pole. Looking up horrible
sight met their gaia.
I Clausen was lying across the two cleo
t,ic wires his right hand olutched one of
the wires-the one he had been repairing
--snd his chin rested on another. Smoke
ana blush flame were issuing from the
parts of the body which touched the
wires, and an odor of burning flesh allied
the air.
A large crowd soon gathered and
looked with shuddering horror upon the
awful spectacle. In q few minutes three
policemen reached the spot, and procur-
lag q rope, climbed to the roof OF the
elevated railroad station, which was on Q
level with the top OF the pole. Thomas
Smith, driver, went up to help them.
The four tried to get rope around the
body Of the linemsn, and at the first st
tempt Smith received q shock which
Knocked him senselsss He was carried
10 saloon and soon recovered.
The policemen in the meantime had
got the rope round Olausen'a body, hu'
were then confronted by new ditiicul.y
The mans right hand clutched tho wire
SO tightly that the body could not bt
moved. One of the men procured nt
AKA and chopped the wire in half 1
was dangerous thing TO do, but forum
! ately no one was hurt by it,
| With great deal Of trouble the bod,
was finally dislodged and dragged from
| thu pole over on to the roof of the sta
! tion, and then lowered to the street.
! Dr.. DAILY of East One Hundred on,
FittieSh street, examined the body an
; pronounced life extinct. The body wa
! removed to the Morrisiana police station
An examination showed that the eleetri
wires had burned the flesh off the RICH
hand to the bone. The flesh on tn
+. right forearm from the elbow to the wris
I was also burned and lscerated. III
1 deep imprint OF tho wire WAS visible il
/. the chin.
The body of the unfortunate man we
/ subsequently removed TO his home on al
I. order given by Coroner Schultze.
i The superstition is that Olausen muI
!. have touched part Of the wire on whic
:. the insrlstor had worn eff and receive
! the shock, which caused him to ia
!. forward on the other wire. He WI
q probably killed almost instantly TT
h police notified the electric light compar
u and other linemen were sent to the sceI
It and repaired the wire which was respol
g eible for the death. ".
Y Clsusen had been married only fe
"a months. VIXEN his young wife, who
e in delicate condition, was told of b
70 death she went into Mysteries, and it
feared the shock may kill hsr.