Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-07-19
DID IS VOLTS KILL
Emil Myer Touched an Electric Fan, and
Dropped Lifeiess.
Nh LII.

Dropped Lifeless.
Baltimore Sun, July 10th.
Emil Myer, So years old, bartender in
George Pemsel's Dew Drop Inn, No.
Az ST. Paul street, took hold OF the
frame of an electric fan which was
wbizzing away on the end of the bar ut
2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. to. turn its
breeze on several customers.
Without murmur he dropped life
less behind the bar, killed in an instant
by an electric shock.
Those in the saloon could not realize
for some moments that the man who
had Just been serving them, had been
laughing and chatting. the picture OF
health, the moment before, had fallen
dead before their eyes. DR.. Henry
Stark was present and made hasty
examination. He pronounced the man
a corpse As the horror of the thing
came to the men in the saloon faces
banched, lips became blue and hands
trembled. The body was picked up
tenderly and carried to room in the
rear, where 1t was held until Coroner
Saunders arrived and summoned his
Jury of inquest, when it was sent to the
morgue.
The fan was run by 55.volt current
supplied by the United Electric Light
and Power Go. Fifty five volts, 1t is
said IL not strong enough to Kill. That
power is the same as supplied to an in
| oandescent light. 1t was thought pos
sible that the wire by which cnrrent
was transmitted to the fan had become
| crossed somewhere with wire carrying
much heavier current and that the
entire mechanism of the fan was charged
with electricity.
The floor behind the bar upon which
| Myer was standing was wet and when
he touched the fan circuit was
formed, allowing the current to pass
through his body. His left hand was
severely burned.
| Myer came to Baltimore from Ger
many about 10 years ago and had been
employed as bartender at different
saloons. He had only been with MIR.
Pemsel about month.
The testimony at the inquest hello
at the Central Police Station last night
dealt in conjectures, suggestions, ideas
and belief as to the cause of Myer {
death. There was no evidence directly
locating the cause The main answers
of the witnesses were that the mar
touched the frame of the fan ane
dropped dead.
After more than an hour was spent II
examining the witnesses about all thu
jury Knew was that the fan figured IL
Myers death, and they rendered yer
dict "that he came to his death b.
, coming in contact with an electric fan. :
F. II. Owens, an electrician employed
, by the United Electric Light and Powe
Co.. testified that he handles fan
every day. when / heard Of the acct
dent / went to the saloon and examines
the fan and wires" said Mr.. Owens
~ found that the wires, fuse and fa
| were all light. The fan was still run
, ming aud / handled it by the fran
without receiving the slightest shock
The meter showed that the fan wa
being run by voltage of 30. A hig
lamp current would break every lam
in the house. / have been employed a
an electrician I6 years. Five bundie
n volts and sometimes % volts will kill
! man, according to the condition OF tn
mans heart. If the floor was We
: where a man stood he would get
! shock; if dry he would not. If hi
i hands were wet So volts would hui
q him and probably kill him. We Z
not do inside wiring, but make tt
!. tap to our wires outside the buildin
q to furnish current. Mr.. Peinsel sal
l he wanted the fan disconnected and
cut off the current. The man may ha,
h touched the switch that regulates Il
!. current running the fan and theret
,. received the shock. !"
!. George Pewsel, proprietor of Il
a saloon, said he was upstairs when Il
"a man was killed. 1.-The floor was d
"a behind the bar whore Myer stood,
- he said. about two weeks ago My
"a caught hold of the fan and received
"a shock that burned two of his finger
y An electrician told me the wire "
! grounded. A Mr.. Evans put in the fan.
AZ Annie Zimmerman, employed as CO.
q, at the saloon, said she was TAXI
an lunch into the bar and heard Myer s
"Oh ~ several times and saw his ha
al on the fan.
4 DIR. Stark, who was in tie saloon a
= examined Myers body right after
liz fell, said: "There were symptoms
~ apoplexy. The condition Of bis 81
and mouth, foam at the mouth, int
Gated apoplexy, His tongue was gu
y moist, which is also good eyinptc
No, never saw anybody killed
electricity y
/
ne man yell aud saw him fall.
ne William Russell, superintendent
en- overhead construction for the, elect
we company, said to reporter of the S
BIT after.the inquest: II believe that
man had heart disease and that
ter sudden shock he may have reoei'
ar from the fan brought it on, and
pit. two combined in that way caused
are death. | once attached man who |
inc heart disease to q small medical bait
le- and it nearly killed him, and at
ng same time almost frightened me
md death because / did not know he
ing heart disease. / will never do it aga
ma If mans hand Is wer or the floor
which he stapds is wet when he touc
fan or wire he will got shO
You can lay down straw hat, If q
The stand on il and take hold of v
md with 2,TO0 volts and not get a shock
ted do not think the framu of the fan
yal charged; the man must have touc
ork the switch that regulates the.cuiren
Vii DR.. N. G. Keire is the city |
and norton physician, and he said he
IgI not called on tn make an examinai
ard of the body.
"a The death of Myer recalls thai
William @. pfeifer, restaurant kee
who was killed in almost the s,
ivil manner April I'D, 1896, Pfeifer
j., in the act of starting an electric m
that operated fans in his restaur
oke Reaching through window to turl
nc a switch that was outside the win
/ of he stood on an iron gas pipe. Turi
the switch he then caught hold {
,;on Grass chain that ran to wheel
!, an operated the fans to give the mot
4 in in start, when the electrical oonnec
was made. He fell to the floor
death was almost instantaneous.