The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-09
DEATH IN THE TELEPHONE
Man Is Struck Dead as he erasps the
Transmitter.

the rubber mouthpiece, and the florist
reeled back into the arms of a friend.
dead.
The accident which cost the florist his
life was the simplest conceivable and
one that might happen to any one Of
the thousands who use telephones ev-
cry day
A heavily charged electric light wire
had touched the telephone wire ana
conveyed TO the instrument death
charge. The hapless florist had CHANGED
70 touch the highly electrified instru-
ment with both hands and the shock
sent the thrill OF death through him as
certainly and effectively as the electric
chair would have done.
contact Of wires similar to this hap
pens every day and is Of the common
est occurrence. Experts declare that
every user OF a telephone runs the risk
OF the same mysterious danger that
ended Delahunt's life. The wonder is,
they say that in view Of the extraor-
binary frequency Of such occurrences
and the small provision mat is made 10
prevent them, many more do not meet
deatn IN the same way that Delahunt
did;
Deiahunt was a prosperous florist,
Wen Known through the town. His tell
ephone had just got out of order. He
was expecting that the trouble would
be repaired at any moment and the in
strument made so that it could be
used.
He was conversing in his office with
two friends, Select Councilman William
H. Dempsey and Horace Lynch. His
greenhouses adjoined the Office.
The flow Of Conversation was inter
rupted by cultural blinking of the
instrument as though the operator was
making an effort to ring.
That telephones been out Of order;
/ guess it's all right again" said Mr.
Delahunt, as he got Up and walked
over to where the instrument hung on
the wall
The florist raised both hands and
grasped the transmitter, pulling it
down on level with his mouth.
A volume OF thin blue flame spOuted
out through the speaking funnel and
played Ike lightning around the in
strument.
Delahunt's body stiffened and grew
rigid as the tremendous charge of cleo
tricity shot through it. and then. with
a cOnvulsive shudder he reeled back
ward, crying:
"Oht"
His hands let go the vibrating metal
and he staggered backward. his face
ashen. He dropped into the arms of
Councilman Dempster dead The whole
tragedy had happened in less than a
quarter of q minutes time. The florist
had been stricken dead instantly.
Select Councilman William II. Demp-
ster witnessed the death Of Delahunt
and caught him in his arms He said:
"On my way downtown I stepped into
the greenhouse and found Horace
Lynch sitting there. Mr.. Delahunt sat
down and Chatted with US. I judge it
was five minutes later when my atten-
ton was ATTRACTED to the telephone. A
sound came from IL something like the
clicking of a telegraph instrument. I
listened for a few seconds and then
asked Mr.. Delahunt what was the mat
ter. He said he did not know but be-
lieved it was the telephone
He walked to the instrument
grasped the transmitter with both
hands and pulled it down. At that in
slant / noticed that he drew his arms
up like one receiving an electric shock
L saw the fire fash from his hands
1t may have been ten seconds later
when the current released his grip and
he turned with half smile on his face
and looked at me.
He started to walk to the counter.
where he makes up flowers. and on his
way said, oh, my GOdp He kept look
ing at me and when he reached the
counter he Strengthened up and started
to fall
Il ran and caught him. and Mr..
Lynch assisted me to lay him on the
floor. He was breathing heavily. but
his eyes were open, with a fixed stare
in them. We worked over him and
moistened his lips. Mr.. Lynch ran aft
er doctor. but when he arrived Della
hunt was dead. He did not appear to
have been burned except on the hands
and fingers, where he had grasped the
transmitter."
The result Of the investigation Of the
cause of the accident which followed
startled every person in Chester ac-
eustomed 10 using a telephone, and re-
suited In steps being taken to provide
against such accidents in the future.
The investigation disclosed the fact
that half a mile from the florists shop
the dropping telephone wire had
touched an incandescent electric light
wire and received the powerful charge
thai struck Delahunt dead
Every electrician in the city took a
hand IN the investiga ton, in which all
the electric light. telephone, telegraph
and trolley companies were extremely
interested. All wanted to know where
the responsibility for the accident lay
and how it's recurrence might be pre-
vented
An autopsy has been ordered on Del
ahunts body to determine the exact
nature Of the injuries. The medical
experts are all watching the outcome
with interest. It is said that Delahunt
received a charge of over $50 volts.
II has developed in the inquiry since
the tragedy that scores of children
have been playing with dangling wires
similar TO that which conveyed the
death shock to Delahunt. and were
having great fun out of it because the
sensation "tickled" them. It is regard
ed as miraculous that some of them
were not killed.
Delahunt was a big, vigorous man,
weighing over 200 pounds. The only
marks left on him by the shock were
some blue streaks on the thumbs where
he had grasped the telephone.
An expert New York electrician pro-
@-DAAAN~C AAAE cNNAAEnL " AtIAdAuAAA OF
one Of the simplest kind. He says that
it might happen with any telephone
under similar circumstances where a
telephone and an electric light wire
happen to become crossed and the
transmitter is handled. The danger is
many times multiplied in the hundreds
Of American cities where electric light
and telephone wires are strung indis-
criminately near together overhead.
The expert says that the same dan
ger is present wherever telephones are
used How simple is the accident is
shown by a little knowledge of the
construction Of the telephone instru-
ment-
The ordinary telephone wire current
is never strong enough by itself to ef-
feet a fatal shock. A live trolley. tele-
graph or electric light wire dropping
on III. as may so "a ui1v hammer may