The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-05-06

IW1aNTY-THREE HUNDRED VOLT
CURRENT PASSED THROUGH
HIS BODY.
psaAh Was Probably Instantaneous.
Accident Happened ON Pole at Cor
~ Of Main and Liberty Streets
wednesday Afternoon In Full View
- Many Pccplc.

y lar. Ernest L. Wicker. electrician OF
80 Sumter Ice. Light q Power Com
ynny. was instantly killed. about ESQ
"Wednesday by. coming In contact
s1th live wire while at work on
NAs line at the corner Of Main and
1lDsrty streets.
Mr.. Wicker and Dave Lawrence.
Nis assistant iineman.' were at work
~on the big pole at the Chandler
C1othing Company corner. putting In
- couple OF new transformers and
I'D almost nnished making the con-
section when the accident occurred
Thsy were seated ON the cross hars
about twenty feet from the ground.
11r. wicker having on a safety belt
~tth which he had strapped himself
- the pole. The work was almost
nnhAhsd. and Dave says that he and
s1Gf. Wicker received shock At the
same instant as eacn CUT q wire on
Spposite sides Of the pole. The terri
- force OF the shock threw Dave vi
Seontly against the pole causing Sc
vses bruise on his forehead. but for
, annately for him contact with the
V1re was broken when he received the
>nnock, Mr.. Wicker remained In con-
( tnek with the wire and Dave grabbed
I'm by the sleeve and jerked his
oand loose from the wire. but nc fell
4nce forward across a cross bar among
ths wires and although Dave made
= frsntic effort to push him loose
nom the wires with stick the at
rsunpt was futile. and the unfortunate
Sopng man hung there with current
tvsnty-thrse hundred volts strong pull
nsting through his body for more
Shan nvs minutes.
"A soon ~ Il was perceived that
Nomsthing was wrong Mr.. q. H.
4eesA who was near by. Jumped into
- busy and drove N rapidly as
Usssisls 70 the power house to have
rns current cut Oh. An effort was
80 made at the same time to reach
- power house over the telephone.
4ua hr. Moses reached there before
- telephone message ala.
r. A. coon a the current was cut OF
1lE Hugsr Lyman ascended the pole
-. with the assistance of others. low
sssd Mr. Wicker to the ground, and
- wss immediately hurried to the
4ood-ostsen 1nnrmary. A careful
ezahination proved that life was ex-
enct and sYorts to resuscitate him
W~rs without result.
1hsrs were but few burns on Mr..
Wbcksr's body. one about an inch Ia
diameter on the hand. another about
sxhree inches long on the side Of the
1ste and temple and perhaps one or
two others Of less Importance OF
seher parts OF the, body. He had on
hcovy gloves. one Of which was
enohtiy burned Just above the burn
-en the hand.
The cause Of the accident has not
ben fully explained. but the sup
position IL that there was a short CIR
-sslt on the line and that when the
v,re was cut by Mr.. Wicker he re-
ssaved the full strength Of the cur
sUaE 81
Such accidents are rarely ever sat-
ssfsctorily explained for they are un-
ssrssen and inexplicable. and the
- and tragic taking OF OF Mr.. Wick
G vill probably always remain a myy-
tsry.
Mr.. Wicker was an expert and ex-
Derisnced electrician and was. more
over. q careful and painstaking work.
man who took no needless or reck-
ssD chances In his hazardous occupa-
non He understood his business the
orsqcaiiy and practically. having ia
Zen an electrical course In one of the
best schools In the South. In addition
- having had several years. EXPERT
snce. He has been In the employ OF
ne Sumter Ice. Light & Power Com
pany for more than two years. during
which period he has had supervision
OF ah~their lines. He stood high In
shs confidence of his employer, and
had made many friends during his
sesscence In Sumter.
HIS death Is one Of the most tragic
shat has ever occurred In Sumter and
the many people who witnessed the
accident were forced to stand by in
horrined helplessncss. unable to do a
ching to save him, while his body
writhed amid the wires twenty feet
In the air.
The deceased was a native OF New