Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-29
TIE FATAL CURRENT.
an Export Electrician Killed While at
N}orl, in a Brush station.
rN.vr York Tlmes-1

One of the most experienced, practical
electricians on the service Of the brush
Electric Illuminating COMPANY ~ their
station "a 2l0 Elizabeth street Was instantly
killed last u'-ht by "a shock IN the dynamo
room. ana -ks explanations given at the
couuaur- office DO not clear up the
mystery 81 the case. The dead man was
Edward Quinn. eff 2i2 Mott street. I'm
te-iur the ~.ry,c" Of the company In 1850,
H. Was gradually promoted because or ms
fru-twortninc~s. eobriety, and ability Un-
I'll be- became first foreman OF the dynamo
room.
Hrwas REGARDED as emineutly capable Of
takiuc care oi the @cventy-twO machines
~ thisdep87tmrnt. and any one Who would
have SUGGESTED that IL was possible Tor an
accident o. have happened 20 hlm through
carli--en.s7 Or error ID the performance OF
ms dufv would have been laughed at buth
bv Oumn's employers and his associates.
Last night the usual t''s1s were made Oh the
various circuits, and the one knoWnise No.
=. an uptown district, was found 10 DE
one Of order. and " trOuhAe-hunters . were
one bv one sent Out ON il until five or
them were seeking for the cause OF the
cutoat. Quinn remained in the dynamo
room and received messages from time 10
time from the trouble-huuterS and made
tests of the dead circuit. At 10 O'CLOCK
the condition OF the circuit had not IN
proved, and Quinn, procuring step-iaddcr
and "a grOund-Wlr,. BEGAN 10 make expert
meuf- slgoug tine wires Ovcrhanglng the
middle row Of dynamos, two OF Whlch, on
account az the accident. were not WORKING.
Quinn. after LISTENING the grOuud-Wire ne
had o. @ pillar in the middle row, took the
other end and mounted the ladder.
AT that time there were IA the dynamo
roUfn e.. :. Green and Charles QUINN "a,
ward, brother Assistant-Forc PAM
Ram au oilcr. and James Barrett. a
In.cbiuc-tender. They say that Edward
Ouiun violated no rule of prccauuon, but
could not give "a clear idea of what me- dld
ON the ladder. but the attaching OF the
ground wire 10 the plllars suggests that he
atteuptcd 20 connect the WlTe OF the CT
cut No. $ with the grounc-wiTe. no
one was watching hun when ne tell wlth a
crash 20 the ioor ON two driving belts III
motion, and Green, Harm, Barrett, and ms
brother rubbed 10 hiIu. saved hlm from
heinz wllirlcd around by the driving belts,
and carried hm 10 "a bench.
A call for a 81. Nlucents Hospital am bn-
lance wiz ssz't from the quarters OF hook
and Ladder Company No. 9, and Dr NJ; b.
Peeney, of 2fS Mott street, was sent TOR
He found that Quinn, who had not shown
any son Of cOf>.oI Ousncs4 Wa, dead: ahC
an examination OF bis body revealed tha'
he hal been burned OBJ the right cheek ant
on the tips oil the fingers OF both hand'
Green was positive IN his theory
that while Quinn was experimenting
with the dead circuit and the ground
wire the dead wire was charged by The
electric wire of some company other than
the Brush, the in,ulatlue material of whlcl
had bOcn burned on rubbed Cd snddenl,
touching on vitaliZug d. but neither ~
nor ANY one iu the dynamo-rOOm cared L
clOaely Inspect the dead circuit and TIA
ground-Wire used by Quinn, and MAJ
who would not give ms name suggested
that Quinn made "a fatal mistake IN trying
to ground one OF the company's WIRE
instead OF being positive that h
was handling the dcsd-circuit. Their
was no dispuie about Quinn's bod
making part Of ground for hy
WIN, and that the full force Of the electro
shock was eAcfted on his brain. Hi
cheek where the wire touched II Wa
burned 10 the bone. and his face was "a
red as II IL had been exposed 10 the actor
OF fire. He was q handsome. tall man o
forty. and was married and had one chill
less than year old. His death caused
profound sensation al the cOmpany's sta
lion.
President Moore and Chief Enginee
Wright. of the Brush company. said las
night that the exact cause OF Quinn deaf
had not been ascertained. They propose
10 have "A careful and thorough Inyestlga
ton made however. They felt certain tina
al the time O. the accident Circuit va
% dead. " and also that there was no eros
with any Of the Brush wires. II ~ sur
missed that either Circuit suddenly becam
alive while Quinn was working at u or els
that he accidently touched live wiTe.