The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-09-01
A LINE MANS ESCAPE
From n Horrible Death by an Electric
Shock Yesterday,

SASNs hVsttihhls
There was a narrow escape from an.
other fatal electric wire accident yes.
terday afternoon at the lower end OF the
B 40. depot platform. Robert llazlett,
a Western Union lineman, was climbing
a pole with two wires, and was about 10
fall when he grasped n wire carrying
1000 volts, and completing the circuit BY
grounding the wire he held In his hand,
was almost killed.
Yesterday morning one OF tho Yves.
tern Union company's wires, which
crosses the creek from the B. ( o. pas.
senger station down through the yards.
broke over the creek. Shortly after noon
Robert HGzlett, Il OF the regular line.
men. wen. down to repair the break. lie
got the two ends Of the wire together,
and was climbing the pole, which stands
Just at the south end OF the i. 4 O. do.
pot platform. lio held one wire In his
left hand, and had tho other hanging
over his RICH: arm. The wire over bis
arm was quite heavy, having no support
from the pole on the opposite side Of the
creek, u distance Of two hundred
feet. Just as ~llazlett reached the
cross arm, the wire which he
held on MIS- arm slipped from
its support on the roof OF the house
above the creek, throwing n still greater
weight upon him. lie felt the increas.
ed weight, which broke his hold on the
pole, and he let go the right hand wire,
and seized the only thing in reach, an
electric light wire uscd to furnish light
for tho Baltimore 4 Ohio depot, with
his right hand. At the point where he
took hold Of 1t the insulating material
was worn, and he instantly took that
part OF tho current which could escape
through the imperfect insulation. The
telegraph wire he held In his left
hand formed a circuit with the
ground and made tue operation Of
the current complete. The in
slant he felt the current, he called to
people standing about the platform TO
pull tho telegraph wire from his hand
and break the current. No one seemed
to understand the situation or what to
do, although the smoke was rising foot
from the hand that held the live wire.
Hazlett could not let 20 his hold on
either wire, and although not more than
five seconds had elapsed, he felt himself
losing his self control. With a mighty
effort, he pressed his knees against the
pole, his legs not being so strongly af.
fected by the current as the upper part
Of his body, and pulled the points of his
climbers out OF the wood, leaving his
weight suspended on the live wire. His
weight pulled his hand loose and he
Slipped down the pole out OF danger.
Hazlett said that he was not in contact
with the wire more than ten seconds,
but in thatshort time, the flesh was al.
most bu'ne TO the bone, and spectators
say they could see the smoke rieing to u
distance Of a foot or more from the
burning hand. Hazletti is OF the opinion
that had he remained in contac. with
the wire ten seconds longer he would
surely have been killed. The full
thousand volts did not pass through him,
the insulating material, although worn
and very imperfect. holding back n part
OF the current, and the Telegraph wire
falling to make u perfe:. ground current.
Hazsett was apparently over the bad Of.
sec;s OF the shock in a few hours and
was able to be about last night.