New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-12
4 HORRIBLE OBJECrLESSOM

If there are any persons in this city, aside
from those toward whom it was specially d.
rected, who read with Indifference or dspleas-
ure Mayor Grants vigorous indictment OF the
electric lighting companies the number OF them
must have been diminished by the tragedy
enacted yesterday within stones throw OF the
MAYORS office A Western Union lineman in
the performance of his perilous duty climbed
I'D telegraph pole on Centre-st., and mo-
ment later was blazing amid a network of
wires, while thousands Of horror stricken spec
tators looked on, pOwerleSs even to eXtncate
the lifeess body. After long delay two cou-
rageOus men set about the dangerous task and
finally accomplished it.
II is seldom indeed that object-lesson follows
warning so closely as this. The newspapers
and their readers were still discussing as
matter of current news the attitude and action
of the Mayor when this fearfully impressive
justification Of his arraignment was presented
to the public gaze on a crowded thOrOughfare
No one should be mised by the statement that
no electric-ght wire was carried on this par
ticular pole within possible reach of the point
where the lineman met his death, and that 1t
was exclusively with telegraph wires that he
came In 1dJal contact. HIS ''F
posing the assertion to be true, must add to the
agitation which the event is calculated to pro-
duce. What security has any citizen, any
where or at any moment at home, on the
streets or in his Office, if at some point far out
of sight defective insulation permits fatal
contact between an electric light wire and some
other wire otherwise harmless? Under such
conditions. it would appear that the telephone,
the ticker or the district messenger call may
suddenly become an instrument Of death.
In the face Of such revelation OF universal
danger as this how ignorant or how deceitful,
and how contemplate in either case, appear
the assurances of safety with which the com
munity has been Knocked for years past The
people are not likely hereafter we should say,
TO be put off with sneers at their credulity.
Many casualties have preceded this homicide,
but now for the first time thousands of citizens
are witnesses to the horrible result of law
breaking and inhumanity worked out before
their eyes upon an innocent victim They at
least will not forget the spectacle nor listen
with patience to TepetitiOns OF the tilmsy and
disingenuous excuses and appeals with which
every honest effort to make such occur
rences impossible has been confronted We
rejoice to believe that Mayor Grant can be
trusted to act up to the full limit of his author
ity under the laws, IBIS sound cOmmon-senSe
and his intrepid spirit are possessions of I'M
usual value to the community just now. There
is no action which he can legally take to fix
the responsibility for past enormities and to
prevent their recurrence that will not be CRATE
fully supported by public opinion. Temporary
loss and inconvenience are of no consequence
in comparison with immunity from such hOr-
rors as that of yesterday. The wires must 60
under ground at the earliest possible moment
and in the meantime they must be either pro-
tected or removed This is the will of the
people Of this city, and considering their pres
ent temper it is not likely to be much longer
disregarded. OF course, the spokesman of the
companies will mourn at the prospect of de-
pleted treasures, but we do not believe that
their stockholders are willing to be held in any
degree guilty of manSaughter.