The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-11
DEATH READY FOR HIS TOUCH
WAITED IN LAMP AND RADIATOR
or STUDENTS ROOM.
When His Hand Grasped the One and His
Feet Pressed the Other q Fatal Eicc-
tric Current Passed Through His
ROdy-Tragetiy al Drew SEMINARY.

desk In his study in Hoyt-Bowne Hall
at Drew Theological Seminary last evening,
George Leonard Lose, a special student,
was instantly killed by electricity. His
death was indirectly caused by disar-
rangement Of electric light wires hundreds
Of feet from the building in which he was.
The actual cause of his death was his reach
ing out to move his electric student lamp
while his feet were resting on the steam
radiator.
From the investigation made by the
seminary and county authorities to-day
il VS. determined that Mr. Lose had come
in II ON skating with his feet wet. He
went alone TO his room. 1t Is believed
that after removing his shoes he drew
up his easy chair got a book. sat down
with his wet fee, against the radiator and
then reached around to adjust the electric
lamp.
He was found gripping the lamp in his
hand and with his feet still against the
radiator 1t was apparent that death
had been instantaneous.
The attention of the other students in
the dormitory was called to the accident
by the odor of burning cloth. A class
mate who had been in the next room all
the time had heard no sound from Mr.
Lose. lie went in with others, believing
that something had caught fire, and found
Mr.. Loses body
The room was dark, except for a sputter-
ing of sparks at the radiator and about
the dead hand which cutched the lamp.
The students caught hold Of him with
reckless haste. The moment his feet Were
removed from contact with the radiator
the lamp In his hand became bright.
DR. Anderson, who Is not only physi-
clan but the chairman Of the Town Light
Committee, was summoned. He found
that Mr.. Lose was quite dead. He at once
srnt for an electrician to determine how
such a remarkable accident could have
happened.
The explanation was not found until
late this afternoon. A test in Mr.. Lose's
room showed that when the electric student
lamp and the radiator were connected
a current of 572 volts passed between them,
indicating that twice ar many volts, or
Liza, were loose around the place some
where.
incandescent lights about the seminary
grounds are supplied directly by a wire
carrying a current Of lO4 volts This iOi-
volt current comes from a tran sformer into
which a current Of ,O4O volts il led directly
from the town electric light works The
transformer reduces the l0i0 volt current
10 i04 volts.
II was apparent that the reduced and un-
i
where.
A careful Inspection of the lircs within
the seminary grounds this afternoon dis
closed that Mondays storm had torn locsc
the galvanized iron guy wire which sup
ported pcle near the seminary gate On
this pole were both the main feed wire,
known as the primary" and the reduced
current wire for the electric lights. known
as the secondary The guy wire Gro 7sed
both of these and was charged with the
current Of both. II Glso charged the
secondary wire with the current on the
primary. Ills did not disturb the electric
light system because there was O circuit
The broken wire trailed on the ground
and was frozen into the mud The cleo
tricity travelled two hundred feet or mole
through the frozen earth to the under
ground iron pipes which carry steam from
on" seminary buil ling to another. Along
these pipes it reached the radiators III
Hoyt-Bowne Hall.
Meantime the incandescent light ap-
paratus was charged with an equal voltage,
and all that was needed for a circuit wes
Il at somebody should connect the two a.
Mr.. lose did.
The very fact that his stockings were wet
made it all the easier for the full current
to pas, into his body. II was recalled
to-day by those who commented on the
tragedy that when men are put to death
by electricity Ia New York peiifentiaries
wet sponges are placed at the points Of
contact with the IA al current
Careful tests were made of the wires all
over the seminary grounds and elsewhere
in Madison. 1t was found that the clearing
away Of the broken guy wire removed all
possibility Of danger from the inCandescent
light service, which is in full use this even
ing.
The directors of the seminary are As
sured that they can in no way he blamed
for the accident, as not even the most ex-
pert electrician who has been summoned
pretends that he would have foreseen the
contingency of the current from the main
primary wire forming a connection with
the steani-heating pipes through a broken
guy wire and two hundred feet OF frozen
ground
Mr.. Lose was a graduate Of the South
western State Normal School Of Pennsyl-
vana His home was in Bradenville, IN
accordance with the desires Of his family,
his body was taken to Bradenvillc tonight.
A committee representing the faculty and
students Of the school headed by President
II. A. Butts, accompanied the body. All
the students OF the seminary attended the
funeral services this afternoon and then
walked in procession behind the hearse
from the seminary grounds to the Madison
station. a distance of about mile. Mr..
Lose was 20 years old and good deal of
an athlete.
SsO,OOO Request to Yale.