Evening journal., 1896-08-05
DEATH MIDST WIRES.
William H. Steward Receives
a Shock Which Proves Fatal.
FEARLEssLY PERFORMING A DUTY

He Comes In Contact with a Live Wire
and the Shock Threw Him Against Two
Others Forming. n. Short Oircuit.-He
Was Taken to Delaware Hospital
Where He Died.
The life of an electric llnemAn Is at
best dangerous one, but when to the
knowledge of that danger is added the
familiarity which comes from constant
contact with the current, the chances
for an accident are proportionAtely In
creased.
Among the men employed by the
Wilmington Electric Company, there
was no one who had the reputation for
careful work and at the same time
bravery which amounted to feArlessn ess,
more than William z. ShewArd He
had been In the employ Of
the company for about six years, aud
never was found lacking he was one OF
Wilmington's best blcy Gle riders, and but
recently was admitted to the r. nix Of
professional wheelmen, and In this lin he
proved as earnest as In his daily work
To-day he lies sileut In death, the victim
Of sudden and fearful accident.
Found Death Midst tho wires.
About . 30 o'clok this morning, In
company with James Gray and Matthew
McKinsley, he WAS sent to 90 some
/ work on the pole Rt Sixth and Orange
streets, which holds q perfect network
/ Of wires. The three men we're at work
at the extreme Cop OF the pole when at
0 45 Steward WAS seen to fall back
ward, ht the same time emitting several
| cries, similar to grosnB. He fell be-
tween two wires, catching them under
his arms at the janctlon with the shoul-
der. He made several struggles TO release
himself and then bscams still. Gray. on
the frat cry grasped him by the collar
and prevented him from falling to the
ground, while McKinsley hurried to send
In notice to the Office, when the current
WAS shut of.
Spectators to the Accident
A dozen persons saw the accident and
Preparations were Rt once made to get
Steward to the ground. Ropes were
rigged, and lluemen of the telegraph anc
telephone companies, who were near al
hand assisted Hs was finally lowered tc
the street where DR.. w. Q Pierce, who
had been sent for, made hssty sxami
nation and decided that there was still
life, and that their was a chance to save
from death. The unfortunate man was
placed In one OF the compAuy's wagons
and taken to the Delaware hospital
where every means known TO scieno'
were used, but In vain. He died at II
O'Clock, short time after his Arri val.
It Was Low Current wire.
The wire which caused Mr. Steward
death was. according to o r Van Truml
of the Wilmington City Electric Com
pAny, carrying only low current, ~
volts, not sufhcient-to cRuse death II
believed that the heat of the sun ha
considerable to do with the accident,
A Theory rs the Cause.
A linemAn explained to 4 reporter G
the EVENING JOURNAL q plausible theor.
! for the fatal result. He said; 9Th
wire.was, only charged with 22O volts, DC
enough to cause death Il touched.
have laid right across wire charge
with that current and have not experl
enced any bad results. know that wa
. all the current because that Is all any o
! those wires carry during the day"
"ShewRrd Prob ably touched the wire
| was shocked and fell back on the tw
wires. AS one was under each arm
|; short circuit was formed, directly throug
! the heart region, and thus paraly 90 tn
4 seat Of life. That Is my idea OF IL.
The coroner was Informed Of the deaf
and will hold an Inquest later.
Leaves Young Wife Behind.
:. The unfortunate man WAS 25 yea
}. Of eye and WAS the son Of Thomas v
Steward, and BROTHER OF Caleb
}. Steward, cashier Of the National Bank
q Wilmington and BrAndywine, Fred.
: Steward and Misses Mary f and Matt
A. Steward. he was married aboI
= three yerrs ago to Miss Addie Savill
who survives him, with one child abo1
= two years old. he resides at S2S Jeffe
r son street. to which place his body wi
70 removed He was a member of the WI
E mington Bicycle Club and had host