The morning news., 1894-11-23
WAS DEAD" SEVEN MINUTES.
How Cutler Was Rssus citated After
Receiving q 800 Volts.
From the New York Herald.

FROM the New 1OTk Herald.
Pittsfeld, Mass, Nov. 2O.-James e. Cut
Ter, who recently received 4,6OO volts of
electricity while working in the testing
room of the Stanley Electrical Manufac-
turing Company, was seen by me to-day.
He was just testing a machine of 1000
volts.
When shown the special cable from Lon
don in to-day's Herald he read with much
interest the remarks of Dr. dArsonval
with reference to his case.
4 have no doubt the doctor was right
in saying that 1 was practically dead for
some time" he said, "as everything be-
came dark and 1 lost consciousness"
Mr.. Cutler explained how the accident
happened, saying he was testing a trans
former to ascertain if it run over 600 volts
and it was found that the transformer
really carried 1000 volts. He usually tested
the electrical current with one hand so as
to avoid any possibility of making a cir
cult if he should accidentally get hold Of
a live wire. g
On this OCCASION in some way that he is
not able to explain, he took a live wire in
each hand, and the full current passed en-
| tirely through his body
Il felt as if 1 was being pulled forward
and downward by the arms" he said.
The sensation was one that cannot we'll
| be explained. 1t was so instantaneous that
l hardly realize how it was. Almost in
stantly everything became black, and l
knew nothing more until 1 was conscious
| of the men working over me-"
| w. A. Whittlesey and j. H. KeIlman
members of the company, who are both
! good electricians, were in the office when
the accident happened, and in less than a
minute they were at work over him, using
! the d 'ArsOnval method of restoring respi-
ration, moving the arms at the rate OF
sixteen times minute, so that the dia-
! phragm would work naturally as in
breathing. They did not find it necessary
/ to draw out his tongue as they were able
| to restore consciousness by moving his
arms, but they would have resorted to
! that if nescessary, as they were perfectly
| familiar with the d Arsonval method
! All of the electricians connected with
| the Stanley company, including William
| Stanley, the inventor; J. f. Kelly, c. Ches-
| ney, Mr.. Whittlesey, and Henry Hine, are
| well posted in this method, having studied
it in electrical literature
A member of the company said it was
| not necessary to post up instructions
about the shop, because there was always
| some one on hand who understood the
| matter perfectly in case anything of that
kind should happen, and this was not
likely, except in the testing room.
Mr.. Cutler was restored to consciousness
| in about seven minutes During this time
there was no pulse, no indication that the
| heart was beating, and no sign of life in
! any respect The men who were working
| over him had little hope of his restoration,
| and were surprised when he showed signs
| of life.
Mr. Cutler says the first thing that he
! remembers was that he could think and
| the next he could open his eyes, but could
see nothing, everything appearing black
| Light soon came, and within half an hour
. he could remember everything that had
| transpired except during the short inter
/ val of Inconsistencies. The fingers Of
one hand We're badly burned and those
on the other not quite so badly.
Mr.. Cutler says the shock threw him
1 in such way that he let gos of the wires,
| and the man working with him pulled
! the other out of his hand, so that the
time when he had hold of both wires was
exceedingly short.
When Mr.. Cutler was asked his opinion
| as to the electrocution of man by the
/ use of 1000 volts, he said he supposed by
| applying the battery in the way they did,
| and keeping the current on so long, death
might be caused, but he did not see how
a current of 1900 volts could be fatal if
he could receive 1000 and live, when it
passed directly from one hand to another,
| through the region of his heart.
1t is the opinion Of memebers of the
| Stanley Company, including General man.
ager Hine, Mr.. Whittlesey and Mr. Stan
ley, that Mr.. Cutler never would have
recovered if prompt measures had not
been taken. This is the first case in this
. mandatory where such measures have
had to be resorted to.
There have been one or two cases be-
fore where, in testing the electrical ma
chinery, especially transformers per-
son has received 1000 volts. One such
case recently occurred, but there were
no i'll effects, except slight burns upon
| the thumb, where two ends of a wire
were about two inches apart.
No physician attended Mr.. Cutler, ex-
cept to dress the burns upon his hands
caused by the electrical current. He was
back in the testing department next day,
and says he felt no i'll effects from the
terrible shock, He has been perfectly well
ever since. Mr. Cutler is about 25 years