San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-10-27

Inc locality Of the difficulty, and thew
saw that water had IN some myster-
lous way causing the grounding" of
lhe wire, as 1t is called by the cleo
I tricians.
II think L will go up and SEE, "ssi
Erickson. The superintendent
want to know the reason of thIs.U
He speedily climb to she top of
the ladder again, and with his hands
grasped wire. And this is what
those who saw it say happened.
Instantly his feet were drawn awsy
from the ladder, and while his arms
were almost at right angles from his
body he was poised in the air. His
form was rigid, his eyes buIged out.
and streams OF fire rolled from his
eyes, nose and mouth.
Weird lights played about his face.
The principal color was blue, but
whttish, golden and pale yellow also
played about him. He was suspen-
ded In the air at an angle In this curl
ously rigid way. The current had so
terrible grip on him that he could
not let go. The wire wac q frail-look-
ing thing. 1t did not look bigger
than couple of knitting needles.
What shall We do?" cried a dozen
voices. The girls at the trolleys
shrleKed and wrung their hands,
while the lightniDgs played.
| carpenter sprang up the ladder like
a streak. He grssped son, and
| tugged and pulled at the line. The
eyes of the unfortunate man
rolled fearfully. He could not get
| him down. He seemed destined to
die in the air, if, indeed, he was not
dead already.
| Something desperate had to be
done. Carpenter was equal to it. He
had hit on heroic plan. 1t might
cause death or serious injury to HIM
| too, but ne would try it.
| CARPENTERS HEROIC ACT.
I.eaping from the top Of the. high
ladder he grasped Erickson with
both hands abont the waist, his
weight adding suddenly to that of
Erickson, and breaking the deadly
| mold OF the awful current, Down they
came, all in heap on the floor at the
bottom, with terrible crash.
Errickson's head struck on Q box
and received a deep and bloody cash.
He did not know it. however. His
body was rigid, as in death. Every
body thought him dead. However,
they at once sent for DR.. Bowie.
The superintendent had meantime
| arrived.
Nine minutes the man lay there,
apparently not breathing or showing
| tho least sign of life. Then it began
to De noticed that there were faint iu-
| dications of life yet remaining. Pretty
soon he Slaughtered little, and at
| length sat up.
where am I and what have L
been doing?" ne said. Then he
looked at the wires. Ii all came over
| him.
| THE first sensation after / grasped
the WIRE" he said, when his mind be.
came clear, Twas one of excessive
lightness. My head seemed air. I
also saw peculiar vari-colored light.
| 1t was round and about me every
| where and seemed to come out of
me. My throat was psrched. had
a great longing, such a longing as I
never had before, for water. / was
on fire within. Then knew nothing
else."
HIS CONDITION.
In q few moments more he got ND.
| Nothing at all was the matter with
him except where he was cut on the
| side of the head by the box and
where his hands were burned by the
wire. He felt bruised by the fall, but
he was strong and could move about.
Careful examination was made of
the wire. 1t was found that 1850 volts
had passed through him. Only 1900,
it has been recently supposed, would
kill man 1t was also found that the
strength OF the current was no less
than 8 $40 amperes, the unit of
m easurment by the electricians. For
twenty. five seconds he had endured
all this.
Erickson had been out In the fog
and mist of the early morning, and
his clothes were damp.
He is exceedingly thankful that his
life is spared. He is now taking
things quietly at his home, 3l4 l-2
Rcth street.
Carpenters conduct Is considered
very heroic. Had he not jumped
from the top of the step-ladder, grasp
ed Erickson and broken the grip on