The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-30
AWFUL DEATH
William Elliott
Killed Today.
Came in Contact With
Live Electric Wire.
He Had Just Begun Work on
Roof of a Building.
Accident Is Said to Be Due TO Care
leSsneSS of WOrkmen.
Tore Off Bracket, Allowing Wire 10 Swing
and Wear off Insulation.
Accident Is Said TO Be Due TO Care
lessnesS of WOrkmen.
Tore Off Bracket, Allowing Wire TO Swing
and Wear off Insulation.

William Elliot, syoung workman in the
employ OF Mahoney q Norton, plasterers,
met with almost instant death this morn
ing from a live wire shortly after he had
commenced his days work.
He was on the tin roof which covers
the resr and side rejection of the whea-
ton & Anthony building at 75 westmin-
ster. street, pulling up mortar buckets
from the ground for the plasterers who
were at work inside on the top floor.
A small derrick had been rigged on
the corner OF the roof and projecting out
several feet beyond the edge to support a
pulley, through which the bucket rope
was operated by Elliot. He pulled ON
that rope all day yesterday, and this
morning had raised perhaps half dozen
buckets full without mishap. But at s
o'clock his fellow workmen who were on
the ground filing the pals heard two
agonizing shrisks and at the same time
bucketfui OF mortar crashed down into
the alley and useless rope, released by
the lifeless hands of Elliot ratified after II.
Half dozen men hurried up the Ave
flights of stairs from the wexminster
street entrance and found Elliot lying
face upward on the wet roof, writhing in
awful sgony. A fine mark Of burned
flesh across the palm OF his right hand
and hole in the toe OF his left shoe from
which protruded q small clot OF charred
ekin told the story. A current of elec-
tricity had passed diagonally through
the mans body, and loose electric wire
along the side Of the building, at about
where he would rench down for the sus-
pended mortar bucket, explained how it
happened.
Eliot was carried into the building
where he died almost instantly.
He was 20 years old, single and boarded
on Richmond street, near Elm.
THE RESULT OF CARELEssNEss.
- is not at ell pro bable that the fatality
would have occurred II the safety device
OF tho Nsrragansett Electric Light Com
papy had not been interfered with.
The wire which caused the mans death
had been strung right along the side of
the building and held fast by an iron
bracket with glass insulator, so that II
was impossible for 1t to touch the wall
CT the building.
This bracket undoubtedly interfered
with the work OF hosting and had been
ripped off without permission ana with
out notifying the Electric Light Com
pany. The freed wire was thus left to
swing loose in.the wind and with every
vibration to rub against the wall, wear
ing of the insulation. The edge OF the
BUCKET struck this particular place on the
wire ana when Elliot seized the handle
the current was communicated to his
body.
1t is not unlikely that the wire may
have been handled several times TO clear
II from the bracket, but so long rs the
attrition had not worn away the ipsuls-
tion there was no danger. The unfortu-
nate mans foot evidently touched the
brick wall, thus completing the oonnec-
tion. Had 1T boen back the smallest dis
tance on the wooden platform no harm
would have resulted.
The electric light people were not
notified OF the Interference OF the wiring
until 8 o'clock this morning. At eight
minutes past eight, when preparations
were being made to go TO the building,
another telephone call informed them OF
the fatality.
The discarded iron bracket was found
lying on the roof shortly after the accident
by Superintendent Van Thomas and his
assistant, william G. Woodward OF the
Nsrragansctt Electric Light Company.
They wanted to take II with them but
were denied the privilege by Bernard j.
Trainor, who has charge OF tho building,
80 II was left for the coroner.
Mr. Van Thomas said that the wire was
on the ipcandescent alternating circuit
and estimated at 1000 volts, although It
would be impossible to tell just how
much OF a current was going through II
at the time.
Elliot's BODY was placed In charge of
Boyce Brothers by Medical Exsminer
Palmer.