The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-10-22

the pole at the corner of Alakea aud
King streets across to the No. ] fire
station fell from the pole to the
ground. 1t was noticed by John Mar
shall, the watchman on duty at the
station, who telephoned at once to
the Government electric light station.
He got an answer from someone there
but while trying to make himself un-
derstood he heard the man he was
talking to hang up the receiver and
thereafter could get no connection.
He then tried to notify the central 1t
was raining very hard at the time and
the telephone was working badly.
The street in front was covered with
some inches of water and it was pitch
dark
just at this time hack belonging
to the ] y l. stand driven by Alohil,ea
came along going towards town. Tho
dangling wire struck the horse in the
breast and he fell dead. 1t is not
known whether the driver was precip
itated over the dashboard onto the
wire or whether he got down from the
| hack to see what was the matter with
the horse, but in some way he came
into contact with the wire and also
fell dead.
the way to Camp Mckinley arrived
at this juncture. 1t was driven by Joe
Rosa, and sitting in the back scat
We're Thomas Hannah of Company l.
of the Second United States en-
gineers, stationed at Camp Mckinney,
and Charles Gertz of the same con. pa
NY, who were on their way to the
camp. The driver noticed the hack
standing in the street and the horse
| and man on the ground and pulled up
short. Turning to his passengers he
said: There's something wrong here,
| I'll get out and see what's the matt
| ter Hannah answered. "Iou stay
| where you are and look out for your
! horse. I'll see what the trouble is"
and so saying he jumped from the ve-
hicle, followed by Gertz. They could
see nothing of the fatal wire so close
to them and went directly to the body
| of Alohillea. Hannah, who was in
| front, took hold of it and fell dead
from contact with the electric current
with which the body had become
charged. With no thought of possible
| danger to himself Gertz grasped the
waist of his friend, thinking he had
| simply fallen. Immediately he
screamed out, Help! Help!" and con-
| tinued to do so for some minutes, his
| body in the meantime being thrown
and twisted into frightful contortions
by the electric current, which had be-
come reduced by passing through
Hannans body, so that it was not
| strong enough to kill him. The COM
motion outside had disturbed the
firemen sleeping in the upper story of
the engine house and they all made
for the street.
RESCUE OF GERTZ.
Charles Thurston, foreman of No.
engine company, was the first to
reach the street after the watchman,
| Marshall. The latter had some eXpe-
rience with electricity and called out
| to everyone to be careful and look out
| for the live wire. Thurston, however,
in spite of the warning seized hold of
| Gertz by the boots and succeeded in
| pulling him away from Hannan's
body. Gertz was then taken into the
| fire station, recovering from the eff
fects of the Shock shortly after. He
was distracted over the sudden end
| ing of his companions life, but was
kindly cared for by the members of
the fire company who took him in for
the night.
| MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.
| Among the earliest on the scene
was DR.. G. Waldo Burgess, who lives
nearly opposite the fire station. His
| mother had arisen to see to the win
| dowS on account of the rain and at
once called her son. DR.. Winslow, of
the United States engineers at Camp
Mckinley, who is temporarily assist
ing at the government dispensary,
next door to the fire station, was also
aroused by the commotion, and was
quickly on the scene. Neither ply
sician could be of any avail, however,
as they quickly pronounced both Alo-
hikea and Hannah dead, while GertZ
had so far recovered as not to need
medical attention.
THE CURRENT CUT OFF.
While this was going on the fremen
cautioned everyone from going near
the fatal wire. The police were very
promptly notified by telephone and
Lieutenant Gardner and posse were
quickly on the spot. Superintendent
Buck of the Government electric light
works, was reached at the Bungalow,
where he had gone from the ball at
the Drill Shed to telephone as to the
cause of the dim light which had re-
suited from the loss of power by rea-
son of the accident. Quickly securing
the services of Electrician James
Crane and others the current was cut
off and all further danger removed.
/, REMOVAL OF THE BODIES.
Total darkness having resulted from
cutting off the current, Mrs. Burgess
and others in the vicinity furnished
lamps, and those from the fire sta.
ton were brought into use. Marshal
Brown arrived on the scene and as
sumed charge. The two bodies were