The morning call., 1890-09-07
A LIVE WIRE.
Thousands Watch the Deadly Franks of
Electricity.

Thousands Watch the Deadly Franks of
Electricity.
Thousands of people stood on Eighth ave-
nue. to welcome the Henry Hirsch Associa-
ton chowder party on their return home.
A few minutes before 10 o'clock there was
a yell from in front of 223 Eighth avenue,
policeman was seen to stumble and fall on
the curbstone, and instantly there was rush
to see what was the fuss. Officers raised
their clubs and men and boys ran heller
SHELTER. The policeman who had fallen lay
on the street rs if he had been knocked out.
He had fallen on boy and both were shouting
as If in intense pain. The crowd hemmed
in around them, and then suddenly lot OF
red lights were set off. In the brilliant
light that lasted for few minutes the Won
dering multitude saw the policeman and the
boy laundering over an electric wire. 1t
was small, either telegraph or a telephone
wire, but it was alive and sparks shot from
it viciOusly.
More quickly than the crowd of excited
onlookers learned what was the matter the
policeman and the boy rolled off the wire,
jumped TO their feet and leaped aside. The
boy was trembling and fell down instantly.
Some bystanders picked him up and carried
him around into Twenty first street. The
policeman stood with pale face, too agitated
so move step. Presently he got his wits
lucky he did so, for the crowd was almost
too scared to realize their danger. The
moment the policeman started to clear the
street the crowd got their senses and began
yelling:
Look out for the wire! Look up there
and see those sparks. Get out of tile way .
Get out of the way!"
A thousand people on the blocks between
Twenty-frst and Twenty-third streets were
on the run in moment. Where before almost
every foot OF space was covered with shoe
leather there was in a jiffy n vacant place
The mob gathered at the corners, retreated to
the stoops and doors of the houses and shops,
and few women tainted. All eyes were
turned above to the tops of the poles. On
the second pole north of the store. in front oil
which hung broken wire, there was an
electric display which for half an hour attracted
as much attention as the fireworks and the
chowder party. Up on that poles cross.
piece telegraph or telephone wire had crossed
an electric light wire, and at the point OF con-
tact a constant flashing of the electric currents
was visible The telephone or telegraph WIRE
had been broken by an ascending rocket and
227 Eighth avenue. The boy and the police
man who had caused all the rush Of people
hadn't seen the wire and the boy standing near
1t must have been pushed upon it. The wire
touched him on the back and he fell. Inc
policeman thought he was skylarking, and
WAS going 10 make MIN stop Wnen no too'
touched the wire with his foot. This police
man was R6undsman Hammond, and to his
credit IL must be said that. though he knew
what was the matter, he did not hesitate, Dut
grabbed the lad and tried to get him OIL the
wire. He was shocked severely, but not so
as to make him quit his duty. Instead, he
sent around to the Sixteenth precinct station
house on Twentieth street and had the Ser
geant send twenty men. They came little
alter ~ O clock and formed a line around the
sparkling wire so as to keep the thousands of
the chowder party's friends away from the
dangerous trailing line of eleelricity.-N. Y.
Sun