The herald., 1896-11-20
WORK OF ARC LIGHT WIRE
It FaIls Across the Private Telephoue
Line Of the Electric Company
Causing the Whole Line to Become an lnstfus
ment of Death
The Series Of Accidents Which Befell
Employees at Widely Separated
Points-Odell Killed at West
Lake-Shocked.

One man was killed,thr were severe
ly shocked and several others more or
less frightened and injured last evening
while attempting to use the telephones
of the electric road system, the cause be-
ing a crossed electric light wire which
had fallen across the line at Spring and
Second streets, the current passing
along the telephone line making every
instrument on the circuit as dangerous
as the naked wire itself
Caleb c. Odell, a conductor on the
was the victim of the deadly current, re-
ceiving shock from the instrument
out at the end of the line at Westlake
park, which felled him to the ground in
an unconscious condition. He died twen-
ty minutes later. Odell was in charge of
car No. 60, motorman w. F. Cooper. It
was exactly S:1S when he approached
the telephone, fastened to a large pole
at the curb on the corner of Seventh and
Alvarado streets. grasped the receiver
and in an instant was writhing on tho
ground in his death agony.
He was picked up and carried into the
little grocery and fruit store Of A. Gam
sert on the corner and placed in a chair.
Physicians were sent for and Drs. Gates
and Davisson responded, but too late.
They arrived while Odell was still
breathing, but could do nothing ana
were obliged to see the spark of life die
out without being able to arrest It's
fight. The body was removed to the
undertakers and the deadly telephone
nailed up for the night to prevent fur
ther accidents, but it was needless. Tho
fatal cross of the light wire with tho
telephone circuit was found In a short
time and repaired. Its work was done.
1t had cleaimed it's victim.
Motorman w. f. Cooper, who was
present at the time, was seen on his car,
and told a succinct story of the terrible
accident. On reaching the end of tho
line Odell jumped off. turned the trolley
on the wire and stepped off toward the
telephone box to notify thespOwer-hous
OF his cars location. Cooper movedsto
the front of the car and sat'down. Sud-
denly he heard cry, but thinking II was
some boy hallooing paid no attention to
it, His attention was attracted by Mrs.
Gansert, wife of the proprietor of the
fruit store. who called out to him that
his conductor was hurt Cooper ran over
and found Odell lying on the wet
u
scious and breathing heavily.
By this time another car had arrive4
on the First street line, and with the aea
sistance of the crew and Mr.. Gansert,
Odell's body was carried into the store
and placed on a chair. Calls were sent
for physicians, and meanwhile the pa
tient was taken into a rear room and mid
on lounge. Stimulants were given, but
produced no effect. 1t was fully fifteen
minutes before Drs. Gates and Davis
son arrived, and in the interim Cooper
had gone for another physician. When
he returned the patient wes rapidly
sinking and was soon pronounced deed.
Superintendent Aiken and other offlc-
ials of the road were on hand soon after
the accident. and orders were at once fs-
sued to close every telephone on the sys-
TEN. 1t will be understood that the car
company has it's own line. strung along
the tops of the trolley wire poles, in
struments being placed at the termini
and at central points. AS quickly as the
heavily charged live wire touched the
telephone line the current flashed In all
directions, making every instrument
equally dangerous. and that no more IA
talities are to be reported is marvellous.
Odell was one of the oldest men on the
line, he and Cooper having worked for
the corapany the past five and one-hah
yearSs He was married and lived IN
his own cozy little home at Fourth ana
st. Louis streets, Boyle Heights; was
So years of age, and carried $1,000 insur.
ance on his life. which. with q farm he
owns in Illinois, will leave his widow
comfortably provided for. They have
no children.
Shortly before Odell was killed Ed Sc
bastian, another conductor on the
same line, had received a shock from tho
same phone. which knocked him down
,rIx "A u-hiio q thu
end of the line, he took hold of the
phone to speak to the power house, and
was knocked fat on his back. Forum.
ately he experienced no evil effects save
a paralyzing numbness in his limbs Tor
several hours. His car met Odells po1o-
ing at First and Spring streets, and -
bastian shouted out something to
Odell about looking out for the tele-
phone No attention was paid to his
remark. as it was thought he was joking
about the open car which Odell was
running on a rai~y night. Had his re-
marks been understood, the Tragedy
might have been averted.
Another conductor who got shock
was S. B. Smith, residing at 725 South
Olive street, and running on the Ninth
street line. At 1888 he got Off his car at
Ninth and Lake streets, the terminus,
turned the trolley exactly as poor
Odell did later and went to the phone.
He grasped the receiver, only to reel
backward nearly Frustrated, his hand
severely burned by the Hash. Smith did
not try to use that telephone again, but
brought his car down down and came
to the receiving hospital, where M
hand was bandaged. After hearing Of
Odell's fate he congratulated himself
on his narrow escape
Still another instance reported WAo
that of o conductor out at the end OF
the Vernon line. whose arm was par
alyzed by shock in the same niannsp