The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-09-09
A LIVELY DEAD WIRE.
Peculiar Freak of an Electric
Current--Three Men Badly
Shocked.

o. H. Ottrn learned a lesson in
carbohydrates, yesterday evening,
which he will not forget as long as he
lives. He tried to drown an electric
current with a bucket of water and
failing went at it, so to speak, with
hammer ard tongs," and came out of
the contest second best.
The cause Of the whole trouble was
one of those innocent, so-called "dead
wires"-a telephone wire which had
no connection with battery. This
unused wire was strung across Lamine
street in front of Mr.. Otten's black
smith shop and passed over the edge
of the root of the shop, just above the
tin guttering along the caves. From
some cause the "desd wire" sagged
down yesterday until it touched an
electric light wire, crossing it at right
angles; it also sagged down far enough
so as to fall into the guttering on Mr..
Otten's shop. The dead wire" hav-
ing formed connection with the cleo
trio light wire and using the guttering
and the tin water spout as a conDec-
tiGn with the earth, it became a live
wire of the liveliest kind.
Mr.. Often stepped into the alley
from a side door at about $3.50 o'clock
and noticed a cloud of smoke ascend
ing from the ground at point where
The spouting entered the earth, and
close to the building. Grabbing
bucket of water he poured stream of
water alongside the building, and as
he did so the electric current took
The water route and gave Mr..
Often a slight shock, MT hard
enough however to convince him that
he wss monkeyiRg with a dangerous
element. He then called to his hep
er, William Richardson, and told him
to bring a poker. Often took the
poker and thrust it into the ground
close to the spouting and as he did so
he staggered backwards, dropped the
tool and asked Richardson what he
had brought him a red hot poker for.
Richardson stopped down and care
fully touched the poker with the tip
ofhis fingers and, saying, "It's not hot"
picked it up rather gingerly and com
menced to stir the earth close to the
smoke. He also received a severe
shock as the poker flew from his hand.
Humboldt Hertenbach at that moment
assisted in finding the subterranean
fire by plunging large iron bar into
the earth. He held the bar with
both hands forming a complete circuit
through his body. He received a
shock that siifened every muscle in
his frame and made his hair stand on
end. The bar was quickly released
and as soon as he recovered the use
of locomotion he s,eered clear
of the electric-charged ground.
1t is wonder that
he was not killed outright. As will
be seen in to-day's telegraph columns,
the death of a man is recorded
as having taken place under somewhat
similar circumstances, Hertenbach
may be thankful that he did not re-
ceive the full force of the electric wires
current.
Having found out the cause of the
smoke, Richardson went up to the
roof and by the aid of a wooden stick
raised the "desd wire" from the gut
tering. Then the ground ceased
smoking.
An examination of the TN water
spouting disclosed a hole as large as
a dime which the current had bored
through the tin at the depth of about
four inches from the surface.
A Candidates Catch.
~ q Il q II