Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-21
MIGHTY CLOSE CALL.
Survived u Dcnth-Denling shock fro
nm Electric Wire,

Survived 81 Dcnth-Dealing shock from
Electric wire.
Chest ~ Shew, Il young painter, who resides
with his wife and three little children at 591t
South Broadway. passed through an expert
ence at II o'clock yesterday, relates the St
Louis Republic, which few men live to tell
about. He painting a telegraph and
electric light pole at 45t0 Easton avenue
when his right arm came in contact with a
live electric light wire, and for fifteen min
utes he was sutDended in mdair, and as
near eternity as he ever will be again and
miss making the through jou ney. AS 1t
was, he received terrible shock and was
severely burned about the right arm and
shoulder and also under the left arm. He
was rescued from his perilous position by
some iiremen from engine house No. 81 and
some painters
Shew is 20 years old and a man of consider
able physical strength He was employed a
few days ago by james Sullivan OF Jefferson
avenue, who has contract tu paint poles for
the Bell Telephone company. He climbed
the pole at 1000 EaStOn avenue, which con-
tains ten cross arms, and had finished paint
ing five of them. He had reached below his
footing and across three wires and was put
ting some finishing touches on one of the
arms when the accident occurred. Although
rendered partially senseless by the shock he
nstinctively held fast to one of the cross
ms around which he had SrElped his left
arm, and this prevented him from being
dashed to the pavement below. Engine house
No. q lis near at hand and the firemen i'm
mediatey responded with ladders, and be-
tween Fireman James King, Painter Eugene
Mockby and several others heg was snatched
from the jaws of death. Mr.. Shew was
deathly pale and trembled like an aspen leaf
when safely landed on the ground. A stlfr
drink of whisky revived him to some extent
and he wds presently able to go home with
out assistance.
A Republic reporter found Mr.. Shew at
his home short time after his terrible eX-
perience. He was quite pale, but said he
hoped to be able to return to work today,
as he could not afford to remain idle. He is
an intelligent young man and very quiet in
his demeenor. He was surrounded by his
wife and three little children. In answer
to questions, he said:
Il hardly know how to describe my feel
ings when my arm came in contact with
the live wire. For some reason, the true
situation flashed through my mind, and |
remember thinking if lost my grip on the
arm of the pole ! would be dashed to the
street. great b,aze Of brilliant fire with
rays pointed like sharp spire seemed to be
shining in my face and binding me- and |
also had the sensation that something was
burning My right arm seemed to be dane
ing up and down in the air and then agati
whirling around with great rapidty. II
felt like it was cramping and | imagined
INC hLStIS "tIG LlB up anu COulu not
be Strengthened out.
II remember trying to think where | was,
hut could rot so.ve the problem, and yet |
knew what had happened to me. / felt no
fear OF death, or even wondered when the
terrible suspense would end and seemed
to be more concerned lest | should fall
from the pole and be dashed to death on the
pavement below. All this time the blnd.ng
light in front Of me seemed to he growing
more brilliant, and then suddenly | lost
consciousness for a brief time. The shock
was altogether on the right side, and al
though | have discovered a burn on the left
side, yet | did not feel it, must have
somewhat disengaged my right arm from
the live wire, for / presently regainei con-
sciousness, end felt a pain in my right arm
aad also experienced renewed uneasiaess
lest ] chould fall from the pole From that
time on my mind is entirely clear.
"In cases of fatal electric shock do not
think the victim feels any pain. and has no
o:ber sensation than light of dazzling bril-.
li-ncy in his face. The pain / felt was not
acute, and ] am satisfied that If the shock
had been little stronger there would have
been no sensation of pain whstever."