The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-05
DEATH DEALT BYA WIRE.
GOTHAM THE SCENE OF ANOTHER
RLECTRIC SENSATION.

The Horse OF a Newspaper Delivery
Wagon Killed in the Street and
Then Slowly Roasted-Two or Three
Men Badly Shocked, but All Escape
Being Killed
NEW YORK, Nov. 4-The electric light
currents this morning roasted horse to
death, threw his driver to the street aud
knocked a police sergeant senseless. AS in
the Feeks case, the deadly current was car
ried to its victims through telephone wire.
A big pole carrying numberlsss wires
stands on Fourth avenue, near the corner
OF Twenty eighth street. About o'clock
this morning one of the wires of tele-
phone line fell to the street and formed
loop across the down track of the Fourth
avenue railroad. Soon after it fell Thomas
Whelan, driver of a Herald delivery
wagon, came along. The horse stepped on
the apparently harmless wire and Instantly
came to a halt, and then sprang aside and
fell.
THE DRIVER SHOCKED.
The jolt of the vehicle threw Whelan
to the street, and when he arose to his feet
he received a shock which threw him pros
trate into the gutter. Regaining his feet
again he undertock * to raise the horse but
as soon as he touched the animal another
shock passed through him. He then COM
pretended the cause and lay still. Citizens
attracted to the scene noticed flashes of blue
flame emitting from the PROSTATE animal.
The flashes came from all parts of the
horses body, and the smell of burning flesh
was perceptible half block away.
wHELAN RESCUED.
Whelan was assisted to his feet but the
hiNF s-raw- l..
ran to the Thirty-fifth street police station
and reported the matter, and Sergt- Albert
Mcdonald and Roundsman Thomas Cassidy
hurried to the scene. They saw the ami
mai still emitting sparks of fire, and, calling
out all the reserves. a guard was estab-
lished at points sufficiently far from the
roasting animal to warn all wayfarers from
nearing the fatal spot
A SERGEANT FELLED.
Sergeant Mcdonald undertook to fad the
deadly wire, and in making a turn around
the wagon he came in contact with it in the
darkness. The wire struck him on the
forehead and he fell to the pavement sense
less as though he had beea shot. Rounds
man Cassidy went to the rescue of his
stricken commander, and when he caught
hold of the sergeant's leg he received a shock
which compelled him to release his hold.
SAVED AT LAST.
A second effort was more successful, and
soon after being carried to the sidewalk the
sergeant slowly recovered his senses. His
head was covered with blood, and above
his brow was the imprint of the wire, while
beside it was a cash evidently caused by
his fall He was dazed and almost help
less, SO that he had to go home. About 4
o'clock, up to which time the horse con-
tined to roast slowly, it occurred to some
one to send to the Manhattan Electric
Light Company's shop in West Twenty
fifth street.
THE DANGER ENDED.
Foreman Knight and two hnemen visited
the scene, wearing rubber boots and gloves,
and found the deadly wires, on the end of
which the horses body lay. They pulled it
down from the pole, and travel was resumed
after the horse had been dragged off the
track. A deep furrow was burned on the
animals back Efforts made to find the
point where the wire crossed the electric
transmitters were of no avail.