Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-05
Lloyd Ware Receives a Fatal Shock
From a Live Electric Wire,
he WAS REPAIRING 4 TROLLEY Line
Shocking Accident on the George
town and TenIeytown Railroad.
ACCOUNT OF THE SAD AFFAIR

killed this morning shortly after Q O'Clock
by an electric shock, received while making
some repairs to the trolley line of the
Georgetown and Tenleytown electric rail-
| road. Death was almost instantaneous,
and when his body touched the ground the
man was far beyond human skill. The &C.
cident occurred about fifteen feet outside
of the District line, on the Tenleytown
road, the scene of death occurring at the
first pole in Montgomery county. DR.. L.
w. Slaymaker Of Tenleytown was hastily
summoned, and reached the spot within
ten minutes after the accident, but he could
be of no service to the unfortunate man.
The Condition of the Wire.
The accident was witnessed by sRly a
| few people. Thomas Van Dyl, white, the
| foreman of the electric repair work Of the
| railroad, working with Ware, and
David Turner, brother-in-law of the vic
tim. The men had just replaced a cross
arm on one of the poles within the District
line and then repaired to the scene where
| ware met his death to fix the trolley wire.
| The trolley line had in some manner slipped
| from its place and was lying against the
pole, of no use at all, though the current
| was still running through it. All that was
necessary was to place the trolley back into
| place again, fasten nut on the attachment
| which held it in place. and the job was fin
ished. The point where the break occurred
| Is where the cars of the line switch off, just
| in front of the old union station, and take
| the tracks Of the Glen Echo road for Cabin
John bridge.
On account of the curve at the point the
| wear on the trolley had been greater than
at any other point, and the nut which
originally kept the line in place had In
| some manner worked Off The tension of
| the trolley wire was sufficient to throw 1t
| out OF place considerably.
There was no cross arm on the pole where
the accident occurred. On the opposite
| side ,,f do nr,t
| holding the trolley in place for the Be
thesda road. A span wire Of two thick
nesses Of ordinary telegraph wire from
| the pcle, and is fastened to a live tree
, about twenty or twenty-five yards distant.
To this span wire the trolley wire was at
tached. and also the wire which furnished
| the illumination for the electric lights
| used at thu old union depot.
Ware Grasps an Uninsulntcd Wire.
When the men started to work this fore
| noon to repair the wire rope was at
tached to the trolley, while the repair
wagon. with its elevated platform Of fif-
| teen or twenty feet, was placed directly
| beneath the break. While Ware mounted
| the top of the repair wagon, Turner stood
| on the ladder a few rounds below him to
| help push the wire in place. Van Dyl. the
| foreman, grabbed hold of the free end of
| trolley back.
| He tugged hard as possible, and found
| tndI lie was a leW lnCneS snort OF SettlnS
| the wire in the right place. To help him
| Ware grasped the wire with one hand and
| tried to push. hoping that his strength
| would be sufficient 10 bring the trolley in
| place. Finding this impossible, he grasped
| hold of the span wire, which was not in
| sulated. to give him additional leverage for
| the work. The moment his hand closed on
| the span wire he completed a circuit. and
| the current shot through his body like
| streak of lightning. The body stiffened
| out, fell off the repair wagon and hung in
| relax his hold. Seeing that he was caught,
| Turner grasped hold of his trouser legs
and endeavered to pull the body down.
Life Extinct When Ware Fell.
Van Dyl saw-the situation as quickly as
did Turner, and he Immediately let go the
| rope which held in the trolley wire. The
force of the trolley springing back to its
| loose place was sufficient to shake the hold
| of the man. The current was then
broken. and the body tumbled to the
| ground, just as the foreman reached the
scene. Owing to Turner holding to his
| trousers the body turned partial somer-
| sault, and struck the car track on the top
| of the head. Just at this point there is a
| second piece of rail placed against the reg
| ular car track to prevent the cars from
| jumping the track, and it was this that
| Ware struck. landing on the edge of the
| iron. There was blood spilled, but
| when the body was hastily examined there
| were no signs of life
| Inc man was picked up and carried into
| Storty's place at the union depot, and a
doctor sent for. DIR. Slaymaker was found
| in his office, and Immediately responded
Life was extinct when he reached the body,
| and he so informed the friends of the man.
| who had gathered at the place in remark
| ably short time.
The Shock Killed Him.
1t was at first thought by the workmen
that death was not caused by the electric
shock, but by the fall. which was sufficient
to cause fracture of the brain. Dr. Stay
maker made an examination, but was I'M
able to find any trace of a fractured skull,
and he gave it as his opinion that the man
| died from the electric shock.
| Word was sent to Chevy Chase through
| the Georgetown police station, to Justice of
| the Peace Claude, who is also acting cor
| oner, and he visited the scene of death
to hold an inquest, and the examination of
| DR.. Slaymaker was taken as final No au-
| topsy was made, and a certificate of death
| made out. stating that the deceased had
met his death through an electrical shock.
| This was taken by the friends of the de-
! ceased to Squire Claude for his signature,
| and then the signature of the health officer
| was required to remove the body in the
| District to the home of the man.
Sketch of the Dead Man.
| Ware was forty-seven years of age, and
| lived at Fort Reno. He had been married
| for seventeen years or so. and leaves a
| widow and seven children.
| He had been employed on the electric
railroad ever since it started nearly seven