Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-02-05
THOUGHT IT WAS HARMLESS.
Picked it up Once But Second
Time He Received the
Fatal Shock.
Accident Occurred on the Corner OF
Third West and Fifth North
This Morning.

James lredale, known as jimmy
lredale, met instantaneous death this
morning. lredale was motorman Of
car 80 of the Utah Light & Railway
company, and was killed while on duty.
He was electrocuted. Car IS had COM
pleted its out-run on the Fifth North
street route and was standing at tho
end of the tracks at Fifth North on
Third West street. Iredale noticed an
electric wire had broken and was hang
ing from the poles above down on tho
tracks. Not believing the insulated
Wire dangerous Gredale picked one end
up ana wrapped II around a pole. An.
other bystander started to sweep the
other end off the tracks with a broom.
but Iredale saying Never mind hand
ling them with broom" picked the
wire up as he had done the irst one.
As his left hand came In contact with
tho strand he toppled To the ground
his head striking against the car fem
der as he fell. Conductor Lyons, also
of car 30, and Ernest Brown were Wit
nesses offthe accident which occurred
at S:l5 o'clock. They ran to the side
Of the unconscious man but life was ex-
tinct,
WET WEATHER THE CAUSE.
The body was left as it had fallen
and Undertaken O'Connell was sum-
moned The car crew did NOT remove
the body, pending the arrival Of Corr
oner Dana T. Smith. The coroner
could not be located so the body was
brought to the undertaking parlors
where Judge Smith viewed j.. Eye
witnesses were unanimous In their
description of the AFFAIR. explaining that
Iredale. not believing he could get
shock from the wire, picked II up with
a fatal result The insulation was rem
dered ineffective by the wet weather.
| Ordinarily an insulated electric wire is
| harmless. Iredale's left hand was COW
! cred with a thick leather glove. A tiny
hole through the first finger of this
! glove showed where an immense VOLT
age entered the unfortunate mans
| body. When the glove was removed
| il was discovered the first finger of the
left hand had been burned IN one spot
TO the bone. Otherwise there was not
mark about the body
The police station was notified OF the
accident and a few minutes later ths
patrol wagon driven by Officer Harris
and accompanied by Sergeant Roberts
and Officer Burton arrived at the scene.
The officers secured names of witness
es and investigated the case carefully.
WAS VERY POPULAR.
Tredale was popular among the Utah
He was quiet, jolly man, about "a
years OLD an OF Swedish descent. o.
Donnel's undertaking establishment
has been crowded since the body ar
rived with conductors and motormen
who have a good word for Jimmy"
The dead man has lived at GA II street
for some time. a wife and TWO small
children survive him, W. s. Brown and
Joseph Coles of this city are brothers-in-
law Iredale was a member in good
standing of Division 3s2. the local order
of the streetcar employees organization.
A. A. of $. and T.. II. a wire crew was
sent to the scene shortly after the ac-
cldent and in few minutes the deadly
wire was in place.
Iredale was the victim of what Is
known as Il grounded" wire. He was
standing in a damp muddy spot and
with the insulation OF the wire saturas-
ed with moisture. the full current en-
tered his body.