New-York tribune., 1902-08-18
1--WE WIRES SLAUGHTER.
TIVE EMPLOYEES OF THE WESTCHES-
TER LIGHTING COMPANY RE
GENTLY KILLED.

AIRED
: I;obting Company. OF Westchester County. In
sav months while the death chair has claimed
+, one victim five men have met terrible
,+be while repairing the wires of the lighting
corporation,
Here is the death roll of the lighting company:
samuel Harburg. lneman. of Mount Vernon.
.-as killed at the top Of a pole while stringing
wires in Pelham Road, New-Rochelle. Harburg
mas an expert electrician, but neglected to wear
his rubber gloves. He caught hold of a live
,,tre carrying 200 volts and was killed in
s.entlv. his body dangling in the air until 1t
bacame convuIsed in gyrations and dropped 10
the street Coroner Banning of Mount Vernon
held that his death was due to negligence on
his own part
John Golden was employed by Frank W. Mol
Iov a New Rochelle contractor, and warn
ing some children to keep away from a live
wire in North-st, which had broken and fallen
down when he accidentally touched it with an
iron poker which ne was using. and died in
stantly. In this case the coroner decided also
that the mans death due TO his own negli-
esnce as the fact that he was warning others
showed clearly that he was fully aware of the
danger.
John Narren. lineman in the employ of the
Nesfchester Lighting Company, was killed at
Dobbs Ferry. According to the version of the
y,
standing on the tin roof of a grocery store.
handing the end of guy wire to a man on the
pole Knowing that the wire was heavily
charged he had on rubber gloves He received
the shock by reaching up between two heavily
charged wires which struck him on the shoul-
der killing him instantly. Marren had been in
the employ of the company about three months
George O'Brier. who met death at White
Plains was working for the New-York Telephone
Company The electric light and telephone wires
al the place where he working both on
the same poles He up pole painting
box, and, in trying TO move about, put his foot
down on a primary line. which knocked him off.
and the fall killed him o'Brien wore neither
rubber boots rubber gloves.
Frank Seiner. the fifth victim, was killed about
a week ago in East Third-st.. Mount Vernon.
where he was employed by the lighting company
in making repairs to its wires He had rub
ber gloves, and pulling up a slack wire.
when in some way it touched his arm and he
fell over dead.
When interviewed by a Tribune reporter il
regard 10 the unusual number of accidents T. A.
Stratton, vice-presdent OF the company, admit
ted that it had been extremely unfortunate in
the loss Of its employees in recent months. He
declared, however that the deaths were not due
10 any negligence on the part of the company.
ana IlaI was taxing every pTeCdullOn poS-
sible TO prevent loss of life
we do not want TO see the men killed any
more than they want to be killed themselves
said Mr.. Stratton. We take every precaution
possible to prevent accidents When a man en-
tiers our employ lineman the first thing
do is to furnish him with a printed set Of rules
which he is supposed to study and read. Our
forerlen are also Instructed TO warn new men
against danger and see that in handling live
wires they use their rubber gloves. but, despite
this precaution. there are some men SO reckless
that unless they watched constantly they
viii not take the trouble to put on the boots and
gloves which furnish for them. The great
est trouble have is with men who have been
with the company long time and are expert
enced electricians. They are more likely TO dis
regard the precautions than the greenhorns.
This rule seems to hold true in all dangerous
lines Of business. such mining and railroad
ing. 1t is the experienced man who usually
gets killed.
The carelessness Of some linemen is illus
trated in the death Of Samuel Harburg. in New
Rochelle" continued Mr.. Stratton. He had
rubber gloves but he left them in the wagon.
# he had taken the trouble to PUT them on he
would probably have been alive to-day. The
same thing is true of O'Brien, who was painting
the pole White Plains. If he had had rubber
boots on when he put his foot down on the live
wire they would have saved him"
How about the man who was killed at Dobbs
Ferry" asked the reporter. Would rubber
boots rubber gloves have saved him?"
-T don't think they would" replied Mr.. STRAIT
ton. The only precaution in his case would
have been a rubber suit In this accident the
wires struck the lnernaa on the shoulder and
made a current through him. Still, it is possible
that he might have escaped if he had had
Of NH SoIp3 shoes for he standing
on q tin roof and this acted as A conductor fer
the electricity.
= have often thought suggested Mr.. STRAIT
ton. that great many Of the people who are
supposed to be killed by electricity have been
buried alive. I am led TO believe this because
We have nearly every week who receive
shocks from higher voltages than are employed
in the executions in Sing Sing Prison, yet they
came around all right after a few days. This
being The case is il not reasonable to believe
that some Of the murderers who are put to death
would become resuscitated if they received the
prompt medical attention and care that Is given
20 iineman after he meets with an accident
What becomes of the families o. the men
who lose their lives in the service Of the COM
pany?'' the reporter asked.
we generally see that the men are respecta-
bly, buried and that the funeral expenses are
paid. Then We have mutual benefit associa-
lion which we try TO get every man to join. The
dues are fifty cents month. and in case Of an
accident the employe receives an allowance cut
Of the fund. II he is killed HIS family gets 500
al least that is the allowance AS the
organization grows the amount will be larger
The benefit association. we believe, is a good
thing 1t was established by the request Of the
company and many OF the officers belong TO it
and paw their dGes the same the men, We
now have about three hundred memo ers. There
two hundred employees who are not in 1t,
and we are trying to induce them to join as
soon as possible OF course, we can't force
Them
But doesn't your company allow something
beyond funeral expenses for the families Of the
men killed in the service" was asked
We |aa1 1.a-ish her a