The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-28

OitA - AtisSot hho
Of the Flatbush Electrical works in
Brooklyn. is 81 years old. He has been
informed by an astrologer who cast his
horoscope that IL he survived for three
months from the date Of the prediction
he would become very prosperous and
attain the age Of 7S. The three months
expired amid such frightful circum-
stances as TO leave no doubt in the mind
Of Mr.. Hines that his escape from death
on that day was little short of miracu-
lous and might be regarded to portend
the notification Of the a~strologer's proph.
ecy. Mr.. Hines accidentally came into
contact with the two poles of the al
%ternating circuit in the incandescent
light department Of the factory and re-
ceived a shock Of 9 1000 volts.
II really do not know how II happen
ed" he said a few days since, "but
while / was throwing the switch on the
temporary switchboard TO the primary
circuit l became conscious Of a frightful
burning sensation. 1t seemed to n as
If / were being consumed by a flame,
which swept through me from right to
left. Then there was q momentary blank.
My thoughts were jumbled together.
The one predominant thought which
seemed 10 e~nvelop all the others was fire.
"The next thing ! knew was when /
was standing at tho telephone in the
Office and shouting TO central TO send
to police headquarters for an ambulance.
Then l became a~hnormally calm. IL
seemed only a moment afterward that
DIR. George Bowling came in and be-
gan TO look me over. By that time / Of
course realized that / had received M
electrical shock Of sufficient voltage to
have killed a dozen men. The very
thought of it sickened me. Suddenly
things began to grow dim and vague
around me. One object after tho other
faded away until / was in total dark
ness.
when / again opened my eyes,
was at my home. An ambulance had
taken me there. / was told that / had
had a convulsion. ! felt the fit coming
on again and requested TO be taken back
to the Office in order to spare my wife
and children such a frightful spectacle.
The ambulance accordingly conveyed me
TO the office, and although the distance
is only four blocks the doctor found it
necessary to give me two hypodermic
injections on the way in order to calm
me.
"At the Office / went into convulsion
after ~cOnvulsion, the interims being fill
ed with such q nauseating sensation as
made each awakening many more times
disagreeable than death. Thanks to the
doctors u~nflagging efforts for three
hours, my equilibrium was at last en-
tirely restored, and l felt strong enough
to go homo and 60 TO bed. / awoke re-
freshed in the morning. The right arm,
through which the current had passed
into my body. was stiff and sore, but
with this exception / felt quite well and
strong. / was able to attend to my du-
ties and paid several business calls in
New York without experiencing very
mucli inconvenience.
u am still q trifle nervous, and the
pain in the arm has not altogether SUBJ
sided either. SUN, I do not think That
my experience will entail any perma-
nent injury either TO my mind or body.
II feel just ms though I'd been having
a long rest, " added Mr.. Hines. II believe
that shock did more for me than 81, 900
worth Of medicine. Ii has cured my
rheumatism. Occasionally a dizziness
seizes me and | feel faint. But since
striking the air / have improved WON
derfully, and l feel well and strong. /
have suffered a great deal with rheuma-
tism. l am free from those pains now,
and if they should return / would be
willing 10 risk another shock to get rid
of them"
Mr.. Hines is modest and spoke with
great reluctance about himself. But his
wife and Mrs Ella p. Hines, his mother,
are exceedingly proud Of him and never
tire talking about him.
MY son has had many narrow es-
capes, y said Mrs, Hines, ST., land some
of them wore not less marvellous, per-
hafs, than the shock of yesterday.
While putting up an electrical plant two
years & i'll Tampico. Mexico, he re-
ceived a shock which threw him across
the room right into the fiywheel of a
dynamo. An injury TO the knee was the
only damage he sustained.
"Ho came near being shot as a rebel
five years ago in San Salvador during
an uprising there. His roommate was
put to death, but Charles escaped and
fled ON foot across the isthmus. He final
ly got TO Guatemala and was taken
aboard an American ship.
"He was often shipwrecked, and once
he slipped from the roof of our house.
on Washington square, in New York,
and saved himself by seizing the coping
with his left hand. The house was four
stories high. He had been shoveling tho
SHOW from the roof. New York Jour