Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-10
A 2,5OO-vOLT SHOCK.
And the Man Lives and Can Tell the
Tale of His Experience.

Apropos Of the debate on electricity as APP
piled to capital punishment, Daniel ]. McFall
furnishes the Virginia New Chronicle with
the following details Of his sensations from an
electric shock on the Sutro Tunnel level of the
Chollar incline:
II was in the employ Of the California cleo
trio light and motor company as dynamo run
ner in the dynamo chamber on the 1850 level
OF the Cholar mine, where the auxiliary power
for operating the Nevada mill by the electric
transmission Of power is situated. In the dy-
namo chamber are q number of small incan-
descent lights, some Of which have long wire
attachments SO they can be carried to any part
of the room for the convenience of the work.
men. Those lights are attached to a one hum
dred and twenty-five horsepower dynamo used
Tor transmitting the power to the mill. One
OF those lights was temporarily hung over
dynamo that was being repaired. The light
not being close enough, reached up my right
hand and grasped the wire for the purpose of
pulling in the slack. At some previous time
this wire had been wound around a nail, which
had broken the insulation and left part of the
wire bare. /, not being aware of this, unfortu-
nately grabbed the wire at this place. My right
foot boot was little damp, and in turning the
toe happened to touch piece Of iron running
to the ground. Immediately 1 was struck, my
right hand grasping the light wire and the toe
OF my right foot boot touching the iron lead
ing to the ground, grounded me CONNECTED
me with the ground), and in consequence, the
current in the electric wires, or at least good
portion of it, passed through my body. Elec-
tricity will always run to the ground first if it
gets the opportunity, SO when made the con-
nection the current passed through me to the
ground.
1T is very hard to define my feeling. First /
received most peculiar sensation that shook
my body and completely paraiyzed me, and yet
at the same time was fully conscious. l tried
to let go my hold of the wire, but, of course,
found that impossible. for the harder the shock
the more contracted the muscles became. and
consequently the firmer the wire is held
tried to shout for aid, and although fellow
workman was but or feet distant from ME,
with his face turned in my direction, could
not emit a sound nor make the least movement
to attract his attention. 1t seemed as if / was
feeling of being consumed by the cleo
trio fluid. fully realized my position
and believed that my time had come
While receiving the shock my eye
sight was good until became unconscious. OF
course, was unable to let go my hold Of the
wire or move my foot from the iron that
grounded me until l became unconscious.
Then the weight of my body loosened my hold
on the wire and / fell to the ground. lay like
dead, my heart pulsations entirely ceased and
also the circulation. Two fellow workmen saw
me drop. They carried me to the fresh air,
stretched me on the damp ground, applied ice
water douches to me, and worked my arms to
promote circulation and artificial respiration.
After the lapse OF twenty minutes, when l was
about to be given up for dead, signs of life re-
turned. At first was dazed, could not under
stand what had happened; in few min.
utes, though, I remembered every thing
distinctly, and got up, feeling very
weak, particularly in the stomach. After o
few days, however, the weakness from the
shock wore away, and I regained my usual
health. There was no actual pain during the
shock, but where the wire touched my hand
it burned to the bone, and the ends Of the
also.
II have since fixed the time sustained the
shock at six seconds. The dynamo to which
the wire was attached generated a direct
current Of $500 volts and thirty-eight am
peres, which is equivalent to the power above
mentioned"