The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-02
SURVIVED A THOUSAND VOLTS.
A LINEMAN CAUGHT IN An ELEC-
TRIO LIGHT CIRCUIT.

Hung on Top Of n Pole With the
Lightning Darling Through Him.
He Accidentally Caught Hold of
Two Live Wires-A Current OF
900 volts Passed Through His
Body. and He Narrowly Escaped Il
Terrible Death.
Daniel Green. a colored lineman Of the
Brush Electric Light Company. came near
losing his life yesterday afternoon about
2.SO o'clock. while engaged in putting up
a transformer" for the purpose OF sup
plying the wires to.the store Of B. H. Levy
& Bro. on Broughton street.
Green was at the top of a pole with an
other lineman, Alonzo East, and the acct
dent all came about by his catching hold
of one of the primary wires, and a wire
from the transformer after the other wire
Of the transformer had been connected.
This sent an electric shock Of 1000 volts
through his body, and it was a wonder
that he was not taken from the pole
dead man.
Green and East went up the pole for the
purpose of putting in a larger transformer
for the use OF Levy's store. They had
connected one of the primary wires with
the transformer. and were at the time
working on the other wire. The current
then passing through the wire was for
the use of the theater. where Trilby was
being produced. The current used for the
theater Is a pretty strong one, being about
lJUO volts, and from its strength and IA
ture sumClent to knock out the ordinary
run of humanity.
Green and East went % work on the
ing it with the transformer. Supt. Keck
OF the Brush works says that East warn
60 Green Of the condition Of the wire, but
tnat the latter replied he was not afraid
OF II, and went ahead to make the con-
hectlon without preserving the degree Of
care usual and necessary in such cases.
lie scraped on the insulating material
from the primary wire, and while still
holdlng the free wire in his hand, he
caught the wire from the transformer
Tor the purpose Of wrapping IL and max
ing the connection. The current of cleo
trlclty was of course too quick for him,
and before he could make the connection
by the wires themselves it was made
through his BODY, and he was several
stages nearer the other world. His CO.
worker saw the predicament, and had
presence OF mind to strike his hand with
some instrument which he had, knocking
i loose from the wires At the same time
ne caught hold of Green, or the latter
"0uld nave fallen to the ground.
Green was thus held astride one of the
cross pieces of the pole with his arms
hanging over the other cross piece. He
was perfectly limp and apparently life
less. The accident attracted many peo-
pie and there was soon a crowd around
the pole. telephone message to the
Brush works stopped the current, and for
half an hour the theater was cut off from
the circuit. Human life was at stake
however, and 1t was more important to
look TO saving 1t than to allow the current
70 continue. 1t was a pitiful sight to see
the man hanging to the pole apparently in
a lifeless condition, and kept up only by
the support of his climbers and the assis-
lance OF the other lineman. Many of those
VINO gathered believed that he was dead
Supt. keck, however, was soon on the
scene, and after some little telephoning
IN which Mayor Myers took a part, the
nook and ladder was called to tine scene
and Green was taken down.
For some minutes after he reached the
ground II was believed that ne was dead
out the usual treatment in cases of cleo
trlc shocks OF this kind was resorted to-
with the result that he soon showed signs
OF life. The action Of his heart was fully
Wen when he was sent to his home and
put under the care of DR.. Lanier
Green was getting along very comfort
ably last night and there was little doubt
OF his recovery, though his shock was a
severe one. He has been with the Brush
company about twelve years and has al
ways been a good workman. though his
employers say that he was inclined 10
drink little too freely and they attri-
butte the accident more to his drinking
than anything else. Supt Keek said if he
had known beforehand that Green was
under the influence of liquor he would
never have allowed him to go up the
pole.