St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-02
Horrible Electric Accident to
a Man and His Horse at
Panama.
The Animal Plunges Head
long Upon Striking the
Live Wire.
Swinging Around. the Wire
Strikes the Man Across
the Forehead,
Cutting Into His Skull and
Burning His Brain and
Eyes.

PANAMA, Oct. 26.-This city has had
startling and appalling experience of
tue electric wires potent power to Stay
first horse and then man, having
been stricken with instant death, and
the latter partially incinerated by con-
tact with live electric wire. On the
AFTERNOON of Saturday last some street
Arabs at play detached q naked
telephone wire and caused it
to hang from the support to
the ground, trailing over the
street light circuit wires of the electric
light company. The evening closed in
dark and stormy, and by some fatal mis-
chance the obstruction was not re-
moved. At about Z D. m. police lieu
tenant discovered the wire hanging and
commenced to haul it in and coil it
about an old gas light post. The act
of drawing the fine wire over the
rubber Insulation of the electric
light wire caused it to cut into and
through the latter. Suddenly the
officer was seen to spring violently back
into the air and fall unco nscious. Fort
unately he had not received the full
force of the current and soon recov-
cred. OF course, great crowd was in
stantly on the scene, and with
AVye-Stricken Curiosity
watched the developments. a police
man was detailed to keep the crowd
and passengers at a safe distance,
while the lieutenant proceeded with
ali haste to notify the electric light
people. Meanwhile a cab came driv-
ing rapidly along. The policeman
shouted vigorously "Halt! haltl' and
the crowd took up the warning cry in
chorus, but all to no purpose. As if
driven by fate, the vehicle rushed on
and right over the deadly wire. In
stantly the horse reeled and plunged
headlong to the ground, its flesh siz-
Zllng. The cab was not overturned and
the driver sprang out and rushed to
the animals aid, evidently having
no idea of what was wrong. Regard
less of warning yells from the
crowd, he grasped the trailing string
that had upset his horse. At that in
slant the wire swung across his fore
head, bit through the skull almost to
the ears, and there remained, although
the unfortunate victim fell forward
over the horse. And now
A FrightfuI Scene
never to be forgotten by the spectators
was witnessed. The electric fluid lit
orally filed the mans head, and in
moment brain and eyes had been com
pletely incinerated. Then the flesh and
skin smoked and siZzled until they also
were reduced almost to ashes. All this
while the sparks played about the
head in an awful shower, the
eyes literally glowing with and
radlating the consuming fire.
twas several minutes before the cleo
trio current could be turned off, and
when it was the body was found to be
partially burned to ashes. the mead COM
pleteIy so. The sight was one of the
most repulsive phases of death the most
morbid mind could desire to be-
hold. There were at the time be-
tween 1900 and 1900 volts going over
the wires, and as the weight of the
horse on the telephone wire had
completely cut through the insulation,
the man, of course, received the full
blast of the current at the first contact.
This, it is believed, is the first death
by electricity, barring lightning, that
has occurred in South America.