The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-10-15
KILLED BY ELECTRICITY.
Horrible Fate of a New York
Lineman in q Net.
work of Wires.

New York, October 11.-At the south
west corner of Chambers aud Center streets
there is telegraph pole so feet high, With
q double set OF cross on it extending
east and west and north ard south. On
these srms are tele phone and telegraph
wires running through Center and Cham
bers. There are also nine electric light
wires on the poll. Just before o'clock to-
day two linemen of the Western Union Tele-
graph company was sent out TO cut down 8
lead wires which were on the pole. They
climbed up, and al about 1:l5 o'clock one
OF them. John Fe. ks, was seen to be falling
by q fireman on tie engine house beside
the pole. The other linewan got down the
pole as rapidly Is possible and ran away.
He was evidently badly scared, and no one
tried to stop him. As Feeks tell he struck
On one OF the cross arms wit his head,
and one hand on the electric light wires
The current was completed. La an in
slant the body stiff. ned. The bea, was
raised, and the whole form seemed
to have been cast in an iron mold. There
wss no IN vement. The man WIS dead.
His leg remained over The cross. bar. but
his feet, crIn and hands were elevated as
though he suffered mortal agony. In al
instant the flesh wss bu ned and turned
red. A Horrible fungi appeared upon his
throat and wrists. He had not taken
his rubber gloves with him, and the
oversight had cost him bis death.
For half an hour the stifened body re-
manned 10 the network of wir-s Crowds
poured from all Ihe streets. For fifteen
miput's the horse C rs threstsneA their
way through The crowd The Gordon of
police appeared and all travel was stopped
The Mortified multitude gaz-d at the body
IN the net wSIk of wires. The face and
hands dtepened into livid hue. A ladder
was taken from Tie engine houGe and
elevated TO the IStal network. The laoder
remained thee fifteen minutes before
man bold enough TO ascend it was found
When he appeared his hands and arms
were encaseo in long rubber gloves. He
carried an immenee pair of shears. Slowly
he assembled the ladder Carefully he
picked his way through the wires until he
reached the fouith cross-piece. Then he
urew his leg over the croes-piece, resting
hls 'eft foot upon the cross-piece below.
His leg shook like man with the ague.
Carefully he raised his right hand and
snapped q wire ne3r he dead mans face.
As the wire fell the crowd below scattered
In an Instant sparks of FIRE followed hy
pulls OF smoke, few from the dead mas
nose aud from his calcined wrists. A
second vie fell curling among its
fellows along Chambers street. A third
wire was Cut. The end few from the nest
to tie northwest CO, Ier Of Chambers and
Center streets, striking a policeman upon
the head and curling nim up with pain.
The fourth wire fell to the street. Then
the livid hand droppc J, the foot ting
upon another wire. Another snip and the
elevated head fell limp and llfeless, ex-
posing the CHASTITY features to those upon
the east side of Center street. Before the
cutting Q rope had been passed over
q cross-piece and carefully knotted
around the dead mans body.
Meanwhile a second volunteer had
mounted TO the cIJ5s-piecs and with his
assistance the be 1y was lowered to the
ground. The crowd was convulsed With
horror. A smell of burnt flesh pervadei
the ala. The whole side of the mans face
was burned away. exposing his teeth. His
wrist was cut to the hone and the blood
was dripping from both zee and wrist.
Coroner Shults took charge of the body.
Mayor Grant gave Inmediste instructions
TO have the particular wire or wires
that had caused the mans death cut, and
to notify the company operating the wires.
This was difficult thing to do, inasmuch
as no one seemed to know what company
owned the death-dealing fund conductors.