Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-20
ROASTED IN ,MID-AIR.
Superintendent Winn Electrocuted
While Repairing a Break.
BURNED CLEAR THROUGH HIS SHOE
Assistant Superintendent Clark Makes a
Wonderful Escape.
A s0UTHSIDE LINEMAN KNOCKED OVEB

George Winn, Superintendent of the fire
alarm in Allegheny, was electrocuted about
1 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
While repairing one of the lines, the spur
of his .creeper" cut through the insulated
covering of telephone cable. The current
passed through his body. and death was in
startaneous, and apparently painless.
Ever since the ravages OF the storm, Tues
day night, Superintendent Winn has been
out on the lines with his men, repairing the
damage He had worked increasingly, and
yesterday afternoon would have seen every
line in perfect order. With Assistant
Superintendent Clark he was finishing up at
Manhattan street and Washington avenue.
Mr.. Winn took one end OF wire and
climbed the post, while Mr.. Clark held the
other end of the wire. The Superintendent
had reached the cross bar, when suddenly
Mr.. Clark saw smoke rising from his foot.
He realized the horror of the situation and
dropped his end OF the loose wire.
The next instant George Winn's body
seemed to tremble in the air and then shot
head downward to the ground. The body
struck pile of snow six feet high, but went
clear through, and when the remains were
broken by the fall.
KILLED BY AN ELECTRIC SHOCK.
Physicians were called at once. DR..
Guilliford, assisted by several other medical
men, made an examination, and decided
that he had been killed by the electric
shock. Life was extinct before he fell from
the pole. The enormous power OF the cur
rent was shown by the fact that it burned
clear through his boot and stocking and left
the Deep black mark of the creeper on the
sole of his loot.
Assistant Superintendent Clark, who was
with Mr.. Winn, was congratulating him.
self last night on his marvellous escape.
He said: 81 hardly know how I escaped.
While Mr.. Wlnn was climbing the pole I
was trying to straighten out the wire and
was still holding the one end when he re-
ceived his death shock. dropped the wire
as soon as 1 saw his foot smoking, but of
course the current had passed through him
by that time. The only way that 1 can ac-
count for my escape is that L had on rubber
boots and gloves, which served as insula-
tors.
after George Winn fell examined the
telephone cable instead OF the iron STEP
The spur of his creeper had cut through the
insulation. Of course, the current followed
the iron creeper and death came like flash.
''The onlys way 1 can account for the
heavy current in the telephone cable is that
it must have been crossed with the electric
light or street railway wires. On the fire
and police poles there are nothing but the
fire and police wires, telegraph and tele-
phone wires. have no idea where this
wire could be crossed. OF course, we do not
have anything to do with telephone wires.
The current may have come from Pittsburg,
for in the city light lines in Allegheny only
a very small current is carried in daylight
nothing like the current which this wire
contained"
A wELL-KNowN ELECTRICIAN.
George Winn was 50 years old, and was
one of the best known electricians in the
county. He was linemau for a long num-
ber OF years, and for the past ten years has
had charge in Allegheny He was n mar
ried man and has one son, William Winn,
the boy who recently preferred charges
against Chief Jones, of the Allie
gheny fire department. Mr.. Winn's
married life was not happy for some
reason and two years ago he secured a
divorce. Since then he has been living as
a Bohemian. He had room fitted up iu
| City Hall, and he took his meals wherever
| he happened to be when he was hungry.
| Since the charges were preferred against
the fire chief the relations between Mr..
Jones and Mr.. Winn were anything but
pleasant Only few days ago Superin.
tcndent Winn ordered Chief Jones out OF
the operating room.
When the great storm called for unusual
labor it is said Chief Jones offered him more
men, but Mr.. Winn refused any assistance
beyond what he had regularly. He did
work in clearing up the tangled wires thai
| was considered wonderful, and died just as
he was comDletinr it.