New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-12
DEAD AMONG THE WIRES.
LrNEMAN ALMOST INSTANTLY KILLEH
HE is HELD IN MID.AIR FOR REE-oUARTERo
OF AN HoUR-THoUsANDs WATCH HIx
HANGING THERE - DANGER OF
WORKMAN WHO CUT HIM DOWN.

The series OF fatal accidents from electric ngfA
wires which has caused such a public outcry
against overhead wires, and which has led Mayor
Grant to take vigorous steps against such negli-
gence, had eliminating butchery yesterday
afternoon. hneman while at work on a pole
on which there were no electric light wires except
near the ground, was killed by an electric shock
and the body, with four wires burning into IL
hung in full view of thousands Of people 70,
three-quarters Of an hour
John L. II. Feeks was lineman in the employ Of
the Western Union Telegraph Company, and yes
terdey just a few minutes before o'clock, after
finishing his dinner, he climbed the pole on the
southwest corner of Chambers and Centre sts
to remove some dead wires. The pole is q
tall one and has large number of wires on 10,
some Of them telegraph, others telephone, police
and fire alarm, while two OF them, which are
about halfway up, belong to the East River and
the Manhattan Electric Light companies. There
are fourteen cross-bars on the pole Feel<s climbed
up slowly, and reaching the first cross-bar
stopped to get out the tools which he intended to
use. He then continued his climb. He was on
the east side Of the pole. The wire that he wished
to take down strung on the fourth Of the
cross-bars, pointing north and south, and when
Feeks reached this, he put his head and half his
body between it and the bar above, and reached
over 10 eaten hOId or the uetu WIFE. inc
neighborhood is busy one in the middle Of tho
day, and several people were looking at the line
man at his work. They saw him catch hold Of
a wire with his right hand, and then in ON in
slant his legs s,ifened and he fell forward, until
his face and neck rested two wires Blue
smoke began to curl up from his hand where it
touched the wire, from his face and neck and
also sfrom his left foot which had caught on .
wire that ran diagonally the street.
by this time the spectators realized what had
happened and were horrOr-stricken at the sight
The first thought was to rescue him from his
position, and long ladder was taken from the
truck of Engine House No. z, which is right or
the corner where the pole stands, and was placed
against the pole. Martin Benson, another line
man employed by the Western Union Company
climbed up the ladder TO get his companion down.
but he had not gone far before the wreathins
smoke warned him that to touch the body with
bare hands meant shock and possibly death
He descended, and a request was sens
to the United States Electric Light Company
at No. 80 Lberty-st. TO send llnemen with proper
implements to take down the man. The acci-
dent occurred at few minutes after o'clock,
and il was go o'clock before the lnemen ar
rived.
In the meantime the excitement was intense.
Thousands of people had gathered and centre
and Chambers SITS. were densely crowded, while
the windows and even roofs of all the nelgn-
boring houses were filled with people. lhe pody
was held at an angle of about forty-hve degrees
by the wires, resting in hfe-like attitude Inc
left arm was clasped around the lowest oil tne
cross-bars pointing east ond west, while the other
arm was lent and the hand was cllnched ABOUT
wire which passed between the second and
third fingers. Blood was dripping from the hand,
face neck and the foot which touched the wires.
Across the upturned face was a terrible gash run
ming through the mouth and almost from ear TO
ear Occasionally puff of smoke went up from
the mouth and nOstriS.
Police Captain Dakn, Of the City Hall Prc-
cinct. called out all the available men of his
precinct and obtained assistance from the Fourth
and Sixth precincts, TO keep the crowd hacK.
An ambulance was sent from the Chambers Street
Hospital but when it arrived it was eVldeno
that an undertaker's wagon was wanted, and the
ambulance was sent away
1t was long time before the linemen sent
by the United States Company, John Cunning
ham and William McDonough, arrived. The
former. his hands encased in rubber gloves, was
the first TO mount the ladder. lie carried nip
pers for cutting the wires and rope. When he
BEGAN tie ascent his face was white, for he was
taking his life in his hands. To reach feeks
he had to pass through network OF wires, any
one of which might be charged with the deadly
current and the slightest slip would have sent
him against the wires that were every instant
burying themselves deeper in the dead hnemans
flesh As Cunningham slowly and cautiously
climbed the ladder there was dead hush among
the crowd, every one looking at HIM with oateu
breath The policemen watching Cunnlnghams
movements forgot to keep back the crowd, but,
a New-Yorl crowd though it was. no one tired
to push forward
Cunningham went up on the south side of the
nole 70 a point n little higher than the
cross bar on which the body lay, and after passing
the rope over another bar dropped the END OF ~
on the othtr side of Feeks's waist Then, gong
down a little lower, he caught hold OF the END OF
the rope with piece OF wire bent at the end, ana
tied it around the body just under the arms.
Many willing hands obeyed his instructions to hold
the other end of the rope to let the body down. and
he began to cut away the wires which held teeks
up. The police did not need to keep the crowd
back then As the first black wire, writing
through the air as it came down, fell TO the
Pavement in front of the engine-house, the efforts
Of the people to get out OF the way became almost
n panic. McDonough now climbed up and aided
his comrade in cutting away the wires, until
fifteen or twenty had been removed. As the wire
which was burning Feekss hand was cut away, his
arm fell TO his side and hung there, dangling
When the wires that were enawlns at the dead
mans face and throat fell 10 the ground the
body dropped forward until caught by the rope
1t took about fifteen minutes ior the two men 10
| dsengage the body from the position III winch
| IL had been held for fortX-hVe minutes.
d. H. Darrah, the foreman OF one OF the western
! Unions gangs of linemen, directed the work anu
| finally gave the order 10 lower the Dody; " nen
! IL reached the ground IL WAS carried INTO tne
! enginehouse y here Coroner Schultze and deputy
! Coroner jenkins made hasty examination oi H.
| The thumb and the second hngeI Oh tne risns
also deep hole in the left foot ana terrible burn
| across the mouth ana cheeks The wire that
| caught the mans throat burned hail through @ tns