The Washington times., 1904-09-01
FATAL ACCIDENT
On CAPITOL HILL
Negro Workman Killed at
House Offices Site.
CAUSED BY ELECTRIC WIRE
Follows Shifting OF Steam ShoveIs
PositiOn-An Italian Helper
Badly Injured

Caught under a falling live electric
wire. Samuel Maloney. a negro, forty
years old, employed by the Brennan
Construction Company, was instantly
killed today. while working in tho foun-
dalton Of the new Offices. Of the Hous.
.of Representative. New jersey Avenue
and y Street southeast.
At the same time. Antonio Germanatti
an Italian labOrer. twenty-five years old.
Of s Decatur street northeast, was
severe Shocked, and burned about both
arms.
The body of the negro was removed
90 the morgue, and an inquest will be
held there tomorrow to fix the rcspon-
sibility, If any. FOR his death The
Italian was taken to the Casualty Hos
pital. Doctors there say ne is not il
/ "a serious condition. and although many
volts Of electricity passed through his
body he win recover.
Caught by Machine.
The accident occurred a short time
after the wOrkmen reported at the foun-
dation. at O'Clock this morning. Fore
man Burch ordered the large steam
shovel used on the work 10 be
nove0 from the center Of the lot
20 the western portion. nesr the
/ Hotel Narnum. A gang Of men bcgas
10 Move il. and had il wen started. wher
the boom, or large steel rod. from which
/ the shovel is suspended came i'm con-
( tact with the electric wire. No one no.
lticed the wire. and the top OF the boom
/ scraped tho insulation from 70, for al
most a foot. The engineer on the ma
chine was ordered to move ahead on
/ the tracks
I'll
I near the base ~ the boom. waiting foU
he shovel TO be brought 10 Il stand
still so they could throw "a chain on the
/ track and prevent il from slipping while
As the boom scraped the insulation
I from the wire. the current Travelled
4 down through the supports Of the en-
/ CINE platform and wheels to the tracks
I on which the shovel was moving Ger
I manatu had the chain IN his hand and
I as he way lying with his arms on the
} track over which the chain w1s thrown,
/ ne received the fun force of the shock
/ His arms were horribly burned. and mis-
I hand was terribly scorched by the chain
! The wire finally broke under the
/ strain. and. rs the negro looked toward
! the screaming Italian and was about
/ to jump ont of thc way. one end 81
/ the wire fell uDon hts shoulder He
/ was knocked 20 the ground and al
/ thoU-h Il was not more tnan few
/ seconds before fcflOw-worlSmen rushed
An Inquest Tomorrow.
Dr. J. r Thorn was in the neighbor-
hood Of the buildine site at the time
4 and, pronounced the negro dead. lie in
/ formed the police OF the Fifth preCirct
\ Sgsff Ge-Fnanetti was remover 10 tht
/ Casualty Hospital in the patrol wagon
/ Coroner hewitt ordered MalOney's body
/ removed 20 tACT'mCrEIe. and after max
! Ing inquiry regarding the wire and the
/ moving of the shovel. he decided to hold
/ an inquest tomorrow morning at il
/ o'clock.
The wire which killed Maloney is q
larre one and is stretched entirely
I across the lot on which the men were
working. IL supplied electricity to th'
J Continental Jewel Filtration Company
/ which Is constructing the new tuune
! back of the foundation lot on which
MaI0ney and GcTmanatu were working
| Work on the tunnel was delayed FOL
/ some hosf~s by the breaking of the wire
but wss resumed before noon.