The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-24
BY A LIVE WIRE.
LOUIS DIETg LOSES HIS LIFE WHILE
FIGHTING A FIRE

a Eroken Electric Light vJtro Starts . Small
Biare on the Perch or Dists's Hotei-The
DnnEitnE wire Strikes Diets on the Hack
or the Head ana shecku Hirn 70 Death.
Louis Dietz, tho proprietor of Metropolitan
Park. at East Williamsburg, ::was killed by a
shock from an electricslight wire yesterday. An
arc light in front of tho hotel and supplied by
the Municipal Electric Light Company Of Will
liamsburg is kept in place by wires fastened to
the roof Of tho hotel porch. Over the arc light
and strung on poles are many electric light
wires belonging to tho Municipal Company.
Mr.. Dietz's light has no meter attachment. 1t
is, operated directly from the company's power
house at Ainslie and Rodney streets.
Tho Amphion Fife and Drum Corps OF Will
liamsburg gave o ball on Saturday night in the
park pavilion. Mr.. Dietz had notified the cleo
trio light company that he wanted the arc light
to DO kept burning until 4 A. Nj. yesterday. 1t
was after 8 o'clock when tho ball broke up.
After the dancers left Mr.. Dietz and his 49,
year.old son Louis crossed tho picnic grounds
to the hotel, whore they counted the cash and
placed It In a safe. Mr.. Dietz noticed that the
arc light was burning, and he called his sons
attention to It. Shortly before Q o'clock.they
went to their respective bedrooms. What hap
pened afterward was told to a SUN reporter by
young MIR. Dietz yesterday:
when father and I went upstairs" he said,
father:went into his room on.the foorsover the
barroom and I went to my room next to his.
Both rooms are in the front OF the building. It
was then about Eve minutes after @. noticed
that the arc light was yet burning and l con-
sidered It strange. 1 could hear father un.
dressing and Just as he was getting into bed we
both heard a man shouting 'Firel Fire! Your
house Is on frel' Father called to me- and I
could hear him putting on his shoes and
trousers. The, cry was repeated and q few
the hall door. I opened tho window OF my
room and got out on the roof of the porch. My
Ornamental woodwork along the edge Of tho
roof, to which one of tho wires holding the arc
light IN place was attached, was on FIRE and md
space between the roof OF the porch and the
ceiling. We called to the other members of
d anS ns%ih,s follSS% Ss up BY "n Ma is'h sfo Ha@ ] a w ssr.
want. Father went out on the porch, and told
iisst 70 pa sS'G and pa alter Of fs TssrF threw eRe ts Err w sss t nS
at. the fire 1 handed him another pail Of water.
bdns.d t thS Un1 II the ne water vat T o. on nth the h. blaze aS e g ne
It. f1lled:.s" Il passed the servant on the way.
When she reached the porch she found father
/ caused me and my sisters to run out. We
carried father inside and placed him on a
,q%2San; lis nnf face % and io RRands WITH thu brandy riSadys Sloo.
hol and other. stlmulants 1 ran to the tele-
phone. to ring up the fire department and to call
handle I received an electric shock and then
discovered that the telephone. wire was crossed.
II directed one Of our helpers to fnd a viii
lage doctor, s.and then / rode on a horse to the
house Of Maspeth engine No. 4. about a mile
way. I told tho firemen about the fire. but
they only laughed at me and did nothing. Then
l rode to the Grand street car stable, where 1
succeeded In having o message sent to tho fire
department and another to Brooklyn Police
Headquarters for an ambulance. Then ] re-
turned home and found DIR. V~anderwyck there.
] He pronounced. father dead, and said he had
, been killed by an electric shock.
| 5 IT found that one of the wires on the polo
over the arc light had broken. and in falling
the end went in between the two small wires
which held the light in place. The. broken end
OF the wire dangled down three or four feet be-
.ow tho arc light, and father, being very tall,
was struck on the back of the head by the end
Of the wire and killed. The back Of his neck
was badly burned"
The fremen extinguished tho flames before
much damage had been done. The dangerous
wire was also removed. While the tender of
Engine IS was near the Grand street bridge
on Its return It collided with the ambulance
from St., GATHERINGS Hospital. breaking the
front axle Of the ambulance. When tho electric
light company learned Of Mr.. Dietz's death
the. power was shut of.
Mi. Dietz was 40 years old. and belonged to
more than twenty five singing and social or
ganizaiions. He Was also q Precursor. He
becaIhe the proprietor. of Metropolitan Park six
years ego.3"He leaves q widow and three chill.