The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-20
ROASTED IN MID-AIR
Lineman McMul1en. While
at Work. Touches a Live
Electric Wire.
BURNED BEFORE THOUSANDS.
His Brave Comrade, Lineman
Myers, perlIOus Rescue-Mc-
Mullen May Die.

One of the most horrible accidents oo-
Cured on Newark avenue. shortly after
ten O'Clock this morning Edward Mo.
Mullen. a lineman employed by the West-
ern Union Telegraph Company. was liter.
ally roasted by a live electric light wire
fifty feet in the air. Hundreds of people
witnessed the struggles of the burning
man to free himself. He was finally res.
cued by two of his daring felIew-worK-
men aud lowered to the ground The
odor of burning flesh was sickeniug. ana
many ladies who were on the avenue were
taken i'll. At present the liueman is at
the City Hospital. at the point OF death.
McMullen is a young man living ID
Newark. He was but recently married
and was one of the best linemen em-
ployed by the Western Union Telegraph
Company. He was quick and active In
getting up pole and uid not know what
fear was.
This morning at ten o'clock, Samuel
Meyers, who is foreman of the linemen.
received au order TO stretch some wires
on the southeast corner OF Newark ave-
nue. and Grove street. The pole nearest
the corner is covered with network OF
wires. This corner is perhnUs the busiest
corner in the CITY, and as a consequences,
the poles IN the vicinity are bristling
with different wires. The linemen dread
these poles, and whenever occasion calls
them to DO any work on them, they go
about it with a great deal of caution.
Foreman Meyers when he learned that it
was necessary TO reach the top of this
pole, decided to bring good man with
him. He accordingly selected McMullen,
and together with their appliances Jour-
neyed to The south Invest corner of Grove
street and Newark avenue. Meyers went
ON the opposite side of the street and
slowly ana carefully McMuilsn climbed
| the POLE Meyer watched him make his
way through the network of wires ult1l
thu sun obscured his view. Then Meyers
paid no further attention, thinking
that McMullen was all right.
M'MULLEN SCREAM ED.
In a very few Iniuutes everybody on
| the avenue was startled by au agonizing
scream Persons on the north side of Eae
avenue looked MP and saw McMulien
dangling fifty feet in the air. Meyers
heard ths scream and detected sizzing
sound. He knew what that meant. Poor
| McMulIen mad been caught by Iva
wire and was slowly roasting to death.
Meyers looked up, but the sun dazzled
| his eyes and he could see nothing.
| Then he ran across the street. What
| he saw made his blood run cold. People
! had already turned away from the hor-
fihle scene. MrMullen's left arm was
| swung over wire. His breast aud face
also rested ou tnls wire. Ills legs were
| tightly wound arouGd the top cross-pi
| pale blue flame could be seen sim
! mering and the odor OF Burning cloth
tiug ana flesh could he plainly detected.
| The poor fellow sQuirmed and squirfned,
aud his screams were pitiful iu the ex-
/ treme Gradually his screSms grew
| fainter and fainter. aud the hold which
| he had maintained with his legs on the
cross-piece began to relax.
! In the meantime Meyers had not been
| idle With the greatest GOODNESS and
l 4 h., -.
/ MS comrade from his terrible position
| With one yell he summoned lineman
employed by the New York aud New Jer-
sey Telephone Company block away.
| In less time than iJ takes to tell it they
! nad secured rops and both ran up the
pole quick as flash. Meyers was first
| aud held Que end of the rope while his
| companion held the otner.
| THOUSANDS WATCHED IT.
| The crowfd III the street pY this time
| numbered thousands. Several hremen
were on the SCENE, but they were politely,
but firmly told by Meyers that their as
| sistauce was not requlred; that he could
| gst the burning man down quicker than
| The entire Jersey City Fire Department.,
and he kept his word.
| Up the pole the two linemeni sped.
! while the crowd held it's breath. y They
/ weut in aud out between the wires. and
| it looked as though they. ton, would be
caught. Al last they were within few
| feet OF where their burning comfade lay.
| The poor fellow had ceased TO n1oa0. He
| was unconscious, yet his legs still chung
| TO the cross s-piece, and prevented him
| from falling altcgetner over on the live
| wire.
| With a dexterous throw Meyers enc
| circied the burning man w the rope,
| and in q very short space os oSime they
| had been securely bound. ashes of
| flame could De seen Issuing fropathe rope
aud even the clothing of tue Aeescuers.
I They did not seem to heed IA slr PERIL
however, so intent were they on fescuing
| their companion.
| At last The rope was given yank. aud
| the burning man was pulled OFF the
t.eadly wire. Slowly ana carefully he
| was lowered 10 the sidewalk. The crowd
| cheered itself hoarse at the quick man
ner iu which the linemen had taken their
fellow workman down. But DOOR
| MeMullen WAS unconscious and horribly
| burned a doctor was in the crowd, and
examined him. He found that his lef1
/ ara, had been almost entirely severed oy
| burns This is the arm which fell across
| the deadly wire. Then there were two
| bad burns on the breast, and it is feared
that his heart was affected. The lefk
side of his face was also burned.
TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL.
| The almost dying man Was carried iut0
/ q neighboring drug store, and the patrol
wagon soon arrived. He was placed in
/ IL. aud hurried off TO the City Hospital.
Meyers, who effected such a gallant
rescue, in conversation with a reported
tor THE JERSEY CITY News, said:-
I" Mac was one of tine best linepen ind
/ this city, lut he TOOK too many chances I
| suppose that while at work on the tod
wire he slipped and fell on the electrlq2
light wire underneath. Withgreat presence
of mind he swung his legs around th7|
rosspiece and thus prevented his whoM
body from falling on The wire. PQ&3
| Mac. am sorry for him. Only shA4|3
/ time ago he was married to a NeWis2
girl, anu when the young wife heal
this it will break her heart. He W RIA "
unusually buayant spirits this NOR y;
and never anticipated meeting witr
| accident" I
George Wheeler. another 1inemanf A
| p.oyed by the New York and New Js3 #
| Telephone Company, while watching 127
| work OF rescue was overcome by the hVI{
and was taken to ST. FIancis' Hospitaly'