The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-09-21
NOVEL LIFE SAVING SERVICE.

Method of Resuscitating Persons
Shocked by Live Wires.
Electrical Workers in Some Cities Organ
ize Crews to Relieve the Victims of
| Accidents.
| Arrangements are being made by Local
Union, No. 26, of Electrical Workers of
| Washington, d. c., to organize "life
saving crew. for the resuscitation of
members of the craft who may be so un-
fortunate as to receive an electric shock
while in the line OF duty. Organizations
of similar character are in existence in
New York, Chicago and many other large
cities, and they have proven to be very
useful the instances being rare, indeed,
| that they have not been able to restore to
| life and health man who has received
shock from live electric wire.
| That set of rules could be devised by
the observance of which the unfortunate
victim of electricity could be restored to
consciousness, was until few months
ago. regarded as an impossibility, and the
discovery that such could be accomplished
was the merest accident. About the time
mentioned a lineman in the city Of Chi
cago while at work was caught in ciruit
of between /, 800 and 2, 600 volts. He was,
of course at once rendered unconscious
and it was believed he was dead, but his
| fellow workmen, with whom he was I'M
usually popular, determined to bring him
back to life if possible. One Of the men
had read little about what to do under
other emergencies. and he took charge of
| the case, his associates working under
his direction. Note of every step made
| in the progress Of the treatment was
| taken and the result of the course adopted
proving successful, the man beng COM
paratively restored in less than ten
minutes They reported their experience
| to the To- al union.
| At the suggestion of the union an &C.
count of the course of treatment went to
all the unions of electrical workers in the
| United States, in order to beneh their
fellow craftsmen as much as possible in
case any Of them should be called upon to
| pass through an experience similar to
that of the Chicago brother. So Elife-sav-
ing crews were once organized IN many
places, the members of which keep them
selves fully posed on the rules and they
are instantly ready when notified that an
electrician has been shocked to do all in
their power to relieve him. 1t is claimed
| that if these rules are strictly followed
and promptly carried into effect there is
no case where the victim of the current
cannot be brought back to consciousness
in from six to ten minutes, and event.
ually to health, unless the brain be roast
ed or the lungs carbonized-
|. AN ELECTRICIANS OPINION.
| A prominent electrician of Washington,
in talking on this matter to Star re-
porter, said: "There is no man that Jean
say positively that man is killed out
right by an electric shock, as has been
proven during the last month in the case
of President Sherman of the National
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and
Mr.. Grover, both of Rochester, N. Y,
each of whom received voltage of be-
tween 1880 and 1900, which is much
greater than is used at electrocutions of
murderers at Sing Sing and Auburn.
Both men recovered. There are men
living today who, by being caught in
both light and alternating currents,
have received greater shocks than have
ever been used for officially putting a
man to death There is in this city today
a man who a few years ago was caught
in 60-light circuit, each lamp having a
voltage of 49, or an aggregate OF s'OC
volts, and his experience, as relateo ny
himself, was as follows:
" "A second after I was caught 1 De-
came unconscious, and in announcer seoopu
I realized my condition, but was power
less to help myself. 1 saw fire OF green
ish hue flying from my nose ana mooon
for some time, and could taste copper loi
weeks thereafter.
A second case was thai OF man III
Baltimore who was caught IN d D. ooo Volts
alternating current while working on the
ton of a ladder about a mile from the
power station. By the carelessness of
man in the lighting station, he was
thrown into the middle of the street All
alarm was sounded by the police, and as
quickly as possible the man was removed
to a hospital. He swas restored to con
seriousness in few moments after his
arrival AFT the hospital, but it was found
+b.t tb., nliers which he held in his right
hand, and the wire in his left, had burned
each hand to crisp as keep as the bone.
The unfortunate man was made Grip
Mo for life. and his hands have been ut
terv useless to him since the accident
1 but the company by which he was en-
ployed has pensioped him tor life.