Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-25
A LIVE WIRE,
CAUSED THB DEATH OF A PEDESTRIAN, AT
HALF-PAST TWELVE THIS MORNING.
Andrew Saidsr, Of Alley Fourteen, Killed While
Crossing Market Stree; at Sixisenih-Othsr
Persons Shockei-Exciiag Scenes

of the Central Glass Company VINO
lives at No. 155 Alley fourteen, was
killed by a "liye" electric wire, at the
poStOfice corner.
The unfortunate man Jay on the wet
and icy sidewalk, where he fell, for at
least fifteen minutes, before the police
and citizens could remove the Kissing
wire from contact with his person, so
as to make il possible to pick his body up
ana carry it to iLe shelter Of build
ing.
Finally, through the exertiOns Of
Ohicer Paul Porter, the wire was
knocked out Of the way, and a reporter
for the REGISTER and a citizen whose
name was not ascertained, caught the
unfortunate man and dragged him from
the iron plate spanning the gutter at
the crossing, out on the pavement The
victim was turned on his back and
match revealed his identity. Police
officers and citizens then carried the
body 70 Harris drug store, but admit
lance could not be gained and he was
taken into LetZkuS' saloon and laid on
a table, where il was found the body
was still quite warm and the heart beat
Ing. DR.. z. HaZlett Cummins and an
other physician at once set about the
work Of resuScitatiOn, but after halI an
hours hard work they were forced to
give uD the effort.
About hali-past twelve o'clock Mr..
Albert Caps, Superintendent Of the
city electric light plant, was on his way
homo. and as he reached the corner Of
Market and Sixteenth street, he saw
great glare Of electric light, where
a wire Of the Wheeling Electrical
Company was sagging down and drag
ging against posts and other objects
Just in front Of the DOStOhce. The
light made through contact between
the wire aud metallic objects was very
powerful, and Mr. Cayps estimated 10
was easily twice as bright as city arc
light. As he caught sight Of It, dog
ran across the street railway tracks
aud the iron plate across the gutter at
the corner, and gave mighty howl as
he touched the metals, all seeming 70
be heavily charged with the electric
current. Almost in the same instant,
and when Mr.. CapDS was in the street,
about midway between the east rail OF
the railway track and the
metal plate over the gutter,
man started across Market street
going east, from Klari's drug store to-
wards the pOstOtlice. As he came 10
the railway tracks Mr.. Capps, who had
by this time located the nature Of the
trouble, turned towards the advancing
man and held up his hands, shouting:-
"FOr Gods sake, stop ~
The man paid no attention 70 the
warning but strobe ahead, aud In two
seconds had put one foot on the metal
plate over the gutter. As he did so, be
threw up his hands, and with 3 cry Of
''Oh, save me ~
He fell on his face on the metal plate,
with his head TO the east and about on
line with the east edge Of the plate,
falling across the Swaying wire, which
he dragged down with him, and which
lay under him, iJ being broken by the
weight OF his body. Mr.. Caps at once
realized the grave danger 70 others,
and shouted for help, and in moment
Others were on the scene, and prepared
TO warn passers-by against the danger
ols wire. which was emitting iery
tram of brilliant sparks along its entire
length wlfere 10 lay on the ground.
Some parties ran 20 neighbOrlng tele-
phones and endeavored 90 call up the
power house, 70 shut of the current,
but could not get them. Others com
munlcated with police headquarters,
and officers started for the scene,
while Mr.. CappS sought for something
f,I hE fanl ri ~ng
cue the dying man. The only thing he
could get hold of on the spur OF the
moment was a broom from q neighbOr-
ing saloon, and with this he attempted
10 remove the WIRE but the work was
too dangerous, and nothing could be ac-
comDlished. Officer Paul Porter, OIL
Ger Creighton. Lieutenant George Gaus,
and Others OF the police force soon
came, and while some kept the crowd
at a safe distance, officer Porter got
sixteen foot strip OF board, and az no
little personal risk, succeeded In knock
ing the broken wire far enough 10 one
side 10 drag the end from beneath the
body of the PROSTATE man and OF the
metal plate. IL was then that the re-
porter and citizens dragged Snyder
from the plate onto the sidewalk, and
IL was ascertaiued who he was.
After repeated efforts communication
was at last established with the electric
light station on the South Side, and
men came up and secured the broken
wire so it could do no further damage,
and meanwhile members of the police
force remained on guard, and warned
people Of the danger Of stepping on the
street raj way rails, the b. & o rails, or
the metal plates at the p0StOtice cor
ner, as everything in the vicinity,
OF metallic nature, seemed heav-
ily charged with the electric fluid. Ii
was quite dark I'm the neighborhO0d,
even though there was an arc light
burning over the intersection OF Mark /
ct and Sixteenth streets, and the dan /
ger OF further accidents was very con-
siderable. In fact, several people re-
ceived slight shocks from coming 10
contact with metal communication gwith |
the wire az some point, but none OF |
their Injuries were serious. There is
po doubt but that il Snider could have |
been removed from the metal plate in a
few minutes after he fell, life could I
nave been restored, but as be
must have lain where he fell for fully
fifteen minutes before IL was safe to
venture near him, the heavy current
did its work eiIectually, and although
his heart could be felt beating for some
time after he was removed TO the saloon
All efforts TO revive the spark Of life
were fruitless. As far as the examina-
ton OF his body could we'll be made al
the saloon, there did not appear TO be
any serious burn upon his person, but
80 avtanded examination might dis