The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-19
TOUCHED LIVE WIRES
TWO ACCIDENTS CAUSED By WIRES
CROSSED WITH TROLLEY.
ONE MAN FELL FROM POLE.
THE OTHER SUSPENDED IN MID
AIR UNTIL RESCUED.


Both Accidents Were Similar and
Happened Within a short Time OF
Each Other-ThOmas ut Top of Pole
Became EntangIed in Wire and
Narrowly Escaped EIectrocution.
Soudifer Knocked From Pole by
shck-TeIephOne Wires Crossed
With Trolley Wires Caused
TroubIe-Heroic Rescue by Fore
man watkins.
Two linemen employed by the South
ern Bell telephone company met ser
ious accidents, which would probably
have proved fatal but for the timely
work of other employees of the company,
at Thirty-second and Barnard streets,
yesterday morning. The first accident
was the less serious of the two, and
w H. Sandifer. who was stringing
wire from a telephone pole fell to
the street and was badly bruised. The
wire in Sandifer's hand became crossed
with a trolley wire and the shock
caused Sandifer to lose his balance.
The second accident happened within
half an hour after the first and about
one hundred feet from the pole where
Sandifer had been working. ]. F.
Thomas, also a lineman, climbed to
the top of a pole to adjust a wire.
He had been working for few minutes
when the attention of his comrades
was attracted by an agonized scream.
They looked up and saw that the wire
which Thomas held had been crossed
with the trolley wire. Thomas attempt
ed to throw the wire over his head
but in doing so he only made matters
worse and the wire became entangled
in his clothing. His comrades in the
street below saw the man writing in
agony with blue electric flames dart
ing about his clothing and body.
Charles Watkins, foreman of the
linemen, saw that if something was
not speedily done. Thomas would either
be electrocuted or would fall to his
death in the street To think, with
the foreman, was to act, and he was
quickly climbing up the pole. When
within a few feet of the half-dead
Thomas. Watkins secured a good foot
hold with his spurs and then seized
the live wire in one hand and held
on to Thomas with the other. The
foreman, although his hand was bad
ly burned by the live wire. extricated
Thomas and called to the men in the
street to come up. Two of them
obeyed with alacrity. and under Wat
kins' instructions the wire was cut
and the current broken. Had Wat
kins let go the live wire it would
have come into contact with Thomas
again and the unfortunate lineman.
in his weakened condition, would
probably have been shocked to death.
The three men conveyed Thomas to
the street, and DIR. A. A. Morrison was
hastily summoned. He arrived at the
scene of the accident promptly and
dressed the wounds of Thomas, and
the burns on Watkins hand. Thomas
was then removed to his home at No.
SlS Montgomery street but later he
was sent to the Savannah Hospital,
as his burns were very serious and he
was very weak from the terrible ordeal
through which he passed.
Sandifer, the lineman who met with
the first accident. had a very narrow
escape from death. Although he fell
from the top of a high telephone pole,
no bones were broken. He was badly
bruised about the head and body and
received medical treatment from DR..
w. w. Owens. He then went to his
home, No. 100 McDonough street.
The two accidents, which We're SIM
liar in every detail are regarded as
very singular py the employees Oh the
telephone company. That both of the
men should meet with such an unusual
accident, at within half hour of the
same time and within a hundred feet
of the same place is regarded as a
great coincidence
At late hour last night both Thorn
as and Sandifer were pronounced out
of danger. An examination showed
that Sandifer had not sustained any
internal injuries and although Thoma q
was badly burned and is in a very
weak condition from the severe shocks
he sustained the hospital --physicians
said that he would recover.
Foreman Watkins, who in order to
save Thomas deliberately took hold of
a live wire and held it until it was cut
is regarded as a hero.
His hand was severely burned and
he suffered from shock.