The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-01
TOUCHED 4 Light WIRE
Thomas Smith Instantly
Dies From a Shock of a
Thousand Volts.

The deadly electric light wire has
added another victim to It's list. It Is
only few weeks ago stnat Edward Nc
MullerT. a lineman in the employ OF the
Western Union Telegraph Company, was
SO badly burned by live wire at the corr
ner Of Newark avenue and Grove streers
that Tor several days Ehis life was desa
paired of.
This mcrning Thomas Smith, a middle
aged man employed bv the New York
aud New Jersey Telepons Company. was
shocked and instantly killed by ground
wire at the corner of Tenth and Grove
streets.
Smith is single man and his parents
reside in Little Falls, n. Y. About two
weeks ago he came TO this city and as
once secured employment with the New
York aud New Jersey Telephone Com-
pany. He was a good workman, and his
services were appreciated by the COM
panY.
Yesterday several wires became enc
tangled on the poles at the corner of
Tenth and Grove streets. interfering
with the work of the telephone company
ana early this morning Fe orman William
Nc Donald and Smith SET out to adjust
them.
Smith and Mcdonald climbed thu
pole at the southeast corner and cut
them. The wires dangled in the street
and many Of them being across the track
of the Hoboken line of horse cars. All OF
the wires were telephone wires.
Mcdonald and Smith climbed down
the pole and began arranging the net
work of wires on the street. Mcdonald
wore gloves but Smith did not.
DANGER TO PEDESTRIANS.
Smith grabbed wire which lay
directly across the sidewalk and over
which several pedestrians had been lucky
enough TO walk without touching.
The next moment Smith let pierc~
| ing yell and fell to the side
walk. A blue flame issued from his
right hand. Mcdonald and several
pedestrians ran over to the stricken man
at once.
| In the meantime, the wire kept dang
| ling around. and the pedestria ms were
kept busy lodging it. Mcdonald with
great presence of mind grabbed the
| deadly wire with his gloved hands and
| quickly climbed the pole and placed i5
| out of harms way.
A crowd quickly gathered about the
| PROSTATE form of Smith. A physician
was IN the crowd and made an exanlina-
ton. He said that Smith was dead, and
| that his death WAS almost instantaneous
| AS usual the Second DrecincI police did
not arrive on the scene until about halL
| hour after the accident occurred The
4
| taking establishment few doors away,
and THE JERSEY CITY NEWS reporter
| viewed it before the police arrived.
| All the marks on the body were burn
| across the palm OF the right hand and q
| slight wound on the back of the head,
| which Smith had received when falling.
| WIRES CROSSED.
| AT nine o'clock. fully an hour after the
| accident, The JERSEY CITY NEWS re-
| porter called aE the Second precinct police
| station. and the Sergeant at the desk did
| not know the particulars OF Uhe accldent.
| From an examination made after tha
| accident 1t appears that the wire which
| Smith had caught was wire OF the
| Telephone Company which had crossed
| an electric light wire. A lineman, who
| was in the vicinity, told The JERSEY
[ CITY NEWS reporter that Smith must
| have received shock OF over a Thousand
volts, which would have killed 4 horse.
LOCAL UNIONS BAD OFFICERS.
| Local Union No 81, National Order OF
| Electrical Workers met last night in
| kelly's Hall at Newark avenue and
| Grove street. and elected officers for the
| ensuing year. President Thomas Wat
| son was not capdidate for reelection.
| He gave satisfactory reasons for declining
1 the Presidency wkSSh WAS preferred.
"rom'' was tnap ID for the splendid
| manner i'll which ne had presided over
! the Union during the past year. The
1
| President; E, ShacKford, Vice-Prestlent;
| Otto Demmert. Recording Secre-
| tary. John Speicher, Financial
| Secretary; John Dawson. Treasurer;
| Nathan Osborne, Inspector, and Il. w.
| King. Charles Hall aud G. DuIee, Trus-
| lees.
| The members discussed the tresument
| Of the men by the New York and New
/ Jersey TelepAons Company since the
! strike was settled.
4 Some of the old men were paid only
| 50. so yesterday. while Others received tina
! S3 demanded. Eais caused dssatisfac-
| tion, and gradually every union man mas
| left the compauy's employ. Last
cept positions elsewhere. 1t is
| the intention of every uuion man to leave
| the company. as they consider that they
! are NOT being fairly dealt with.
| Lineman Smith, who was killed this
| morning, was not uulon man. and was
| aaid fo ha ar inaXDePianced man.