Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-14
FELL TO DEATH.
Herbert Hunt, an Electrician,
Meets a Sad Death.
Working at Top Of Electric Light Pole,
Corner Winter and Water.
Falls and Soon Dies Shock from Wires May
Have Been Cause.

While at work at the top of a 25-toot
Winter and Water streets, Friday
morning, Herbert Hunt received Il
severe electrical shock and fell to
the ground. striking on a curbing. He
died, several hours later, from the
effect Of the injuries.
Mr. Hunt, who was in the employ If
the Kennebec Light and Heat Co. as
linesman, had been at work in different
parts of the city for three or four days
and. Thursday, received orders from
Samuel Soule to go to work the next
morning on Highland street, where a
lamp needed repairing. The object If
having Mr.. Hunt start in working in
that part of the city was that he might
be in a place where there was no dan
ger from live wires.
Instead Of going to work at that part
of the city he attended to some other
work and then Went to work on thu
light at the corner of Water and Win
ter streets.
This lamp was out Of repair but it
was thought better to postpone re-
pairs on this until later in the day
when there should be no current in the
wires. Mr.. Hunt started in to work
earlier than required, and, finishing up
the other work. arrived at the lamp at
the corner of Winter and Water street.
shortly before ! o'clock. AS it was
| necessary to do some soldering about
the lamp he carried his gasoline loren
with him to the top of the pole.
After he had been at the top of the
! pole for short time those nearby saw
! him fall to the ground, a distance Of
perhaps - feet. When he fell h.
struck on the curbstone.
| AS soon as the man was seen to strike
he was picked up and carried to the
| home of his mother Mrs. Alexander
| Fuller, and Drs. Cobb, Sawyer ana
! Turner were summoned. An examina-
| ton showed two parallel burns on the
| right side of the mans face, and q bum
| on one foot over the place where there
| was a nail in his shoe. Further eX-
animation showed that the man was
badly internally injured After tn
examination the physicians gave the
opinion that there was no hope of his
recovery. He died shortly before noon.
Exactly how the accident occurred no
one really knows. Electrician Soule in
| speaking Of the matter, said that in
his opinion a little gasoline in the
torch had flowed from the tank and
having become ignited startled Mr.
Hunt so that he lost his balance and
! fell to the ground. Mr.. Soule could
not believe that Mr.. Hunt would be-
come so careless as to come in contact
with the live wires. Ordinarily ne
was one of the most careful workmen
and had worked around live wires 50
long it did not seem possible he would
come in contact with them.
DR.. Alton Sawyer in speaking of the
accident, said that in his opinion the
shock the man received was in itself
sufficient to cause death, even had not
the fall Of % feet taken place
Mr.. Hunt was a man of unusually
good habits and one who was univer-
sally respected by everyone He was a
. young man Of very even diSposition
and always had pleasant smile an
cheerful word for everyone His age
was D years. His mother and two
brothers survive him. The funeral will
he held Monday afternoon. at .
| o'clock