Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-09-04
BROKEN ELECTRIC WIRES,
THEY CREATE 4 CHEAT PINIO AT
EIGa an AND MARKET.
An GA Man lssa,T shock ed-peopi,

An Ola Man Badly Shock ed-Po0pI,
Scared ana street Car TraVe
stopped.
lev minutes after 0 Thursday nigh
there was havoc along the trolley wire
of the Wilmington city passenger railway
| Just where they make the curve In turn
ing from Eighth street into Market street
There was . sharp explosion, aud then
vivid hlshe of electricity in q do2sr
places, accompanied by herce, kissing
noises, followed In two or three seconds
by crash as the guy pole on tho south.
cast corner OF Eighth and Market streets
was broken, and, with the network OF
wires, came tuubling to the ground.
The usual crowd that assemblies around
this corner WAS thrown into q panic and
precipisately fl-d IN all directions, Wills
people passing up aud down Market
street st ta!s point were frightened
almost to de4'a. some stood still, not
knowing when way to move to avoid
the falling wires, which, being held
up from tue east side OF the
street, fell upon Institute Hall pavement
In their dssesat. Others dashed into ad-
jacont stores and waited anxiously for
further developments. north. bound
street car flied with passengers had
stopped just ABOVE Eighth street and the
inmates poured out pell-mell, while the
frightened horses made the sparks fly
with their hoofs which beat terrific
tattoo upon the paving stones, as they
madly struggled to get away. Mean
while the electric dlshes continued to
leap from the trolley wires, and an cleo.
trio lamp ct the Institute Hail was broken
and expired with bright and Yivii flash.
Through it all there ~ cracking
noiaes, mingled with the screams Of
women and shouts of men Who we're
seeking places of safety The whole
occurrence did not continue more than
10 seconds, but pandemouium reigned
while II lasted.
When electrical disturbance ceased
and que. was restored, man was seen
lying % the pavement in front Of Wat
sons drug store entsngled ia the fallen
wires. Some persons aver that when no
Tell they coull sec flashes of light all
over him, aud when some men ran TO his
assistance others, with horrible rgcolec-
tionf OF death from contact with victims
OF the electric hqid, called ont Don't
touch him, don't touch him, you'll get
killed" 1aerO was paus,, On: finally
Herbert X, Watson aud Or. j.. Paul
Lukens took hold Of the fallen man, who
BY this time was struggling to arise, AMI
lifting him to mis- feet took him into Mr..
Watson's drug sore. 1t was ex.5heritf
George s. hagany.
Ar. HaRany was walking past InSti-
tute Hall when the crash came and WAS
struck on the head by portions OF the
trolley wire as it swung down to the
pavement. He was somewhat bruised
AID badly shocked though he was saved
from the full force Of the current by the
wrs catching upon two awning poles
which served as conductors and carried
much OF the current into the ground. At
tor resting at the store for hnlf an hour
no was able to proceed to his home. Mr..
Hagany is past 70 years of age.
The burning out Of the fusble plug at
the electric light station by which the
wires are connected with the awitoh-
board, served to deprive The broken
wires Of the deadly current, but this fact
was unknown at Eighth and Market aud
the large CROWD which quickly assembled
kept at q respectful distance from the
wires that danglsd all around the corner,
severAl policemen also arrived 10 aid in
keeping psople back. As the wires were
across both street car tracks travel was
completely satuppsd for awhile. sunar-
intaldent Afohl, IF the ely passenger
railway wa qua gly summoned mud the
electric lish si&tion Who also notihs!.
Ia less than hall An hour the wires were
strung up out OF reach aud street. car
travel was resumed. Men went to work
at oncs to repsif tie damage and By 8
O'Clock this morning this broken pole wGs
up, the trolley wires replaced aud eysry-
thing in working order.
fhe causs Of the accident il ID SUP.
posed, was the breaking Of the pole al
the southeast corner OF Eighth and
Market Streets, TO which the guy wirss
that hold the trolley in place a. il curves
around the corner are attached, although
the notses and flashes OF the electrical
disturbance wera plainly heard and seen
before the pole fell. The pols is formed
OF three sections, jointed together, and is
composed nf I !reh iron. st one Of the
places Of j1latuse the iron hGd bsea worn |
down to q thickness of only \ Of an inch, |
and here is where the pole booze.
II IL almost impossible to portray the
excttemen, caused by the accident. II |
was the first OF the kind TO occur ia this |
city, and it happened where more people
congregate than vt any other point along |
Market street. Those who were there az |
the time, though they escaped injury,
viii hardly care to go through the ex.
psrience again.
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