The Portland daily press., 1894-09-21

!
protected Electric Wire Caused the
Mischief.
New York. September 2o-In the presence
of more than three hundred people Daniel
Mullane, seventeen years old, was shocked
| to death with electricity while standing on
| the steps of No. 263 Chrystie street, at $40
| O'Clock last night. The fatal accident was
| significant of the danger which attends the
careless running of electric wires into
places of business, whether for the purpose
of lighting them or for running fans. as was
1 the case in the present instance.
The steps at No. 203 Chrystie street, lead
up to the high stoop of the double tenement
house at that number, which is tenanted by
more than twenty families. In the base
ment George Muhlhofe1 has barroom and
restaurant, and two electric wires run from
pole standing in front of the building to
an electrical supply box hich rests on a
| tin cornice over the basement and under
the first floor windows of the tenement
house. The box is concealed from sight by
Muhlhofers sign, which also rests on the
cornice. The end. of the cornice touches
both hand rails of the stoop, which is
directly in the centre of the building From
electrical meter just inside the restaurant
| door and thence to the fans. The wires In
side the restaurant are.covered With wooden
safety covers, and outside the insulation
| was supposed to protect them and prevent
all danger.
FATAL CONTACT WITH THE CORNICE.
1t was the contact of the tin cornice with
the iron rail of the stoop which caused
young Mullane's death. The boy, who lived
with his parents at No. 1S9 Sands street,
Brooklyn, had come over to New York to
attend meeting of the Star Junior club
at No. Is Chrystie street. incidentally he
| went to see Freda Smith, a fifteen year
old girl, who lives at No.201 Chrystie street.
They were talking on the steps of No. 2Ol
when the electrical supply box, resting on
the coInice of the basement next door, sud
denly blazed up. 1t lighted the street
brilliantly for nearly two blocks. and the
people came rushing to that point until the
street was crowded. Some of the tenants
IL the house. thinking the building was on
fire, came pell-me,l down the stairway.
Others thrust their heads out of the win
dows all along the street, wondering what
the trouble was.
Young Nullane ran around the steps of
No. 203 just as Charles Strain, the land
lord, who lives on the first floor, opened a
shutter opposite the burning box Mullane
had stepped onto the first step of the stair
way when Strahm saw him.
THE WARNING TOO LATE.
'sFor Gods sake keep your hands off that
rail!'' shouted Sfrahm.
The warning came too late, for Mullane
had placed both hands on the iron rail of
the steps to watch the fire. Instantly his
form grew rigid. He Strengthened up to his
full lengthsand braced back as if trying to
pull away from the fatal rail. His hands
still grasped it like 81 vice. and from his
lips issued groan which sounded to the
thIong Watching him like ''h-h-h-h-h!''
man on the sidewalk whose name can
not be learned grasped Mu1lane about the
waist and tried to pull him away, but he,
too, stiffened out. and, so far from accom-
plishing his object, he was not able to,
loosen his hold on the boy. A third man
undaunted by the experience, grasped the
would-be rescuer i'll an attempt to pull both
him and the boy loose. Both men were
hurled clear across the sidewalk under a
wagon. Mullane's hold on the rail was
loosened at the same instant and he fell
PROSTATE on the sidewalk.
EFFECTS OF THE CURRENT,
Policeman Firneiscn, of the Eldridge
treetstation, carried the boy across the
street to house and summoned an ambu-
lance from Gouverneur hospital Mullane
died before it arrived His hands were
swollen and blistered, and his face and
body were bleached almost to snowy
whiteness. Word was at once sent to Null
lane's mother. His mother. brother and
sister came over land claimed the body
Their grief was intense, for the boy had
been in perfect health when he left home.
He was employed in the delivery depart
ment of Tetft, Weller & Co s dry goods
ST ore a Broadway and Worth street.
Tie two men who were hurled under the
wagon when Mullane finally loosened his
hold on the fatal rail were not seriously
hurt and they picked themselves up and
disappeared in the crowd. Meanwhile the
electrical supply box on the cornice was
blazing and swapping out thousand
sparks which sprinkled the sidewalk in
front of the restaurant. 1t was finally put
out by Julius Schultz, one of the tenants,
who poured a lot of water over it. After
ward some employees from the United States
Illuminating company, which supplies the
power came around and cut off the current.
They also severed the burned out wires
leading into the restaurant.