Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-02-27
BUSINESS ALMOST PARALYZED
Poles and Wires We're Down in
All Sections of the City.
THREE HORSES KILLED
BY ELECTRIC SHOCKS
Citizens Have Narrow Escapes
From Death.


biBhbS we're OH All
Night-The Sleet storm a Severe One.
The storm which practically covered
the city with ice during the day Fri
day tied it UP with electric wires Fri
day night, and as result business and
nearly everything was almost paralyzed.
Street car traffic was almost completely
abandoned early in the evening, as a
result of obstructions across the tracks
and other adverse conditions, and be-
cause of the many wires and poles
down, all of the street electric lights
throughout the city were in darkness
all night. the current having been shut
OIL late in The afternoon by direction of
Superintendent c. Reginald Van
Trump, as a precautionary measure.
So many telegraph, telephone and other
wires were across the light wires that
it would have been hazardous to have
the high tension current on the light
wires. Accordingly, all of the city
light and high tension commercial
lights we're shut off, only the low ten
, sion commercial lights remaining.
Had it not been for the magnificent
service of the Welsbach Co, which
furnishes the gas lights, the city would
have been in darkness. The heavily
clouded sky produced unusual darkness
early in the evening, and even when
people were going home from their
places of business about o'clock, it
was so dark that where there were no
Welsbach lights or lights from stores
Illuminating the streets, it was impos-
slble to see the wires and tree limbs
which were hanging in the streets, and
many people were thrown headlong in
the slush. Some received slight
shocks, but none we're seriously injured,
SO far as is known. The Welsbach
lights served as a great protection from
wires on the streets upon which they
are located. The darkness made them
appear even brighter than usual and it
seemed as if they realized that they
had an unusual duty to perform, for
they gave strong, steady light all
night and were not affected in the
least by the high wind, whereas it is
probable that many ordinary gas lamps
under similar conditions would have
appreciated by the people Friday night
moro than at. any time since IL was in
stalled, and the manner in which it
stood the test bore out the guarantee
of the company that it is durable even
under adverse conditions.
The Peoples Railway Co. suffered
worse than the Wilmington City Co.
Many of the Instructions which tied
the lines up Friday night were removed
during the night by force of men
under the direction of General Super
intendent Richard W. Crook, Superin-
tendent Quail, Chief Dispatcher Mul.
rine and Chief Electrician Mcdowell,
but the company was unable to start
its cars Saturday, owing to another
difficulty, which was discovered after
daybreak. Vt was found that one of
the large cables of the Delmarvia TeIe-
phone Co. had fallen across the trolley
wires at Tenth and Jefferson street,
and at the request of Capt. Wood,
superintendent Of the Delmarvia Co.,
Manager Crook decided not to start
the cars until the distractions could
be moved, as the current from the
trolley wires would have communicated
to the telephone wires and through
them to buildings, which might have
caused fires, and at any rate would have
done serious damage to the telephone
system. The railway company suf-
fered considerable loss of business on
this account, but Mr.. Crook was will
ing to make this sacrifice for the sake
of safety. At noon it was stated at the
Office of the company that the lines
would probably be in operation on reg
ular schedule time early in the after
noon.
One of the most thrilling incidents
in connection with the general trouble
Friday night occurred at Gilpin avenue
and Adams street. A large number of
heavy feed wires of the Wilmington
City Electric Co. run along Gilpin
avenue westerly from Adams street.
and although the poles which carry
the are unusually stout and supported
by guy wires, they could not with
stand the heavy weight of ice, and at
about O'Clock the pole at the south
west corner of Gilpin avenue and
Adams street fell with a crash against
Dr. Henry Garrett, Jr..'s stables, on
the corner, and Immediately the wires
leading to the arc light on the corner
snapped and II pole on Gilpin avenue
between Adams and jackson streets
splintered and toppled over. 1t pulled
one on the corner of jackson street out
of place and caused it to lean over the
street and the latter pulled over pole
between jackson and Van Buren, caus-
ing it to fall out into the street. The
other poles fell on the sidewalk.
At that time there was some current
on the wires, and shortly afterward two
high tension wires came in contact
Immediately inder the caves of Z. Tat
nall Warmers stable, which adioins
that of DIR. Garrett, and for several
minutes there was a flame shooting up
at times for several feet. Many people
on the opposite side of the street saw
|. the fame and feared that the stable
would be set on fire, but the wood was
Hwet and finally the wires burned in
two and fell to the street, without doing
serious damage to the stable.
Ihe trouble on Gilpin avenue was
the only serious damage sustained by
the electric company, as far as is
known, and its employees went to work
today IN an effort to restore order.
Red lanterns were hung on the wires
last night, and no further accidents
happened there, although the wires
hemmed in the people living on and |
above Gilpin avenue. Wires we're
down in every direction and very few
people ventured to cross the avenue at |
that point after dark.
Early in the afternoon nearly all Of
the poles on East Fourth street from
Walnut to the Christiana River fell,
causing much consternation Many |
pedestrians and drivers of horses had |
narrow ESCAPES from injury and death !
when the street became clogged with |
wires and polen Persons fled when
The poles began to SraSk, and sought !,