Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-21
LIVE WIRE KILLS LINEMAN
Peter jacobs Of Motor Company Meets with
Accident at Blrly Hour.
is WORKING ON A POLE At THE TINE
Takes Hold OF Two Wires and 1000
volts Pass Through His Body,
Resulting I'm Instant
Death.

Peter Jacobs, a lineman in the employ Of
the motor company, met instant death at
an early hour yesterday morning from a
1000 volt live electric light wire at the
corner Of Main street and Tenth avenue,
where he was engaged in moving wires to
permit three houses to be moved across the
street. Jacobs and three other men, under
the direction of Foreman Carr, were en-
gagged In shifting the motor company's wires
to permit Hollenbeck Brothers to move
three houses across the street. 1t had been
the intention to move the houses Monday
night and the linemen Of the electric COM
pany had cut its wires and made the tenn
porary connections necessary to permit OF
the wires being lowered or raised. 1t was
while %unwinding this temporary connection
of wire through which a 1000 volt current
was passing that Jacobs met his death. He
was near the top Of the pole and placed his
left hand on the wire east of him while
with the other he unwound the connection.
When the connection was unwound It left
Jacobs holding the two ends OF the wire,
one in each hand, thus forming a perfect
circuit and the current passed through him
killing him instantly. His life belt strap
ped round the pole supported Jacobs body
ana prevented it falling to the ground be-
low.
Lineman George Smith ascended the pole
and reaching past Jacobs cut the wire and
instantly Jacobs grip relaxed and the pliers
which held the west end OF the. wire fell to
the ground.
The body was lowered to the ground and
every effort made to resuscitate the unfor-
tunate man. but he was past earthly aid.
death having evidently been instantaneous
Fixes No Blame.
The body was removed to Cutters under
taking rooms where Coroner Treynor i'm
paneled a Jury AMI held an inquest. The
jury, consisting Of George W. Long. w. p.
Mikesell and George B. Miles, brought in a
verdict to the effect that Jacobs met his
death by aocidently coming in contact with
a live electric wire and that no blame at
tached to anyone.
The witnesses at the inquest were Fore
man Carr, the linemen working with jacobs
and the men employed In moving the
houses. Foreman Carr testified that Jacobs
was considered an experienced lineman,
having been employed IN that capacity for
q number Of years although he had only
been working for about a month for the
motor company. He described the manner
in which the man met his death and sup
posed that 1t was through an oversight that
Jacobs had grasped the wire with his left
hand, II being unnecessary for him to do
SO while ~unwinding the connection. Carr
explained that in order to raise the feed
wires Of the motor company to permit the
houses to pass under It was necessary to
cut the connection Of the electric light wire
and pass 1t under instead Of over the motor
wire. 1t was while engaged in cutting this
connection that Jacobs was killed.
The testimony Of the other men was sub
stantially the same as that given by Carr.
Jacobs previously TO coming to Council
Bluffs to work for the motor company lived
in South Omaha. He was & married man,
but It is said that he and his wife had not
been living together for several months.