Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-20
Trouble With the Wires.


accident happened. Trouble having beer
experienced with the wires at that point
earlier in the afternoon, repairmen were
sent out from the company's shops short
ly before 3 o'clock in the afternoon to
repair damaged wires. Just before Divers
was electrocuted an eastbound car ahead
Of him had trouble with the wires, the
trolley spool jumping the wire and break
ing the span, throwing the latter across
the feed wires. The broken span dangled
over the weStbound track SO close to the
eastbound cars. it is stated, that Divers
feared it would endanger the passengers
on the open car.
About eight cars had been delayed by
the accident, and the passengers on most
of them had left the cars and gone ahead
to see what was being done. The sput-
tering wire had to be removed before
traffic could be resumed and Divers
thought he could get it out Of the way
without calling out the repairman. He
took the desperate chance and lost his
life
S. T. Dorset and j. NJ. Maupin. treas
urer and secretary, respectively, of the
Potomac Heights Land Company. were
near the scene of the accident. They
were there earlier in the day, when the
first trouble with the wires was encoun-
tered. and they remained until the dying
Mr. Dorset said that when Divers took
hold of the dangling wire with news
paper it seemed as il the wire curled
about him almost instantly and held him
a prisoner.
Caring for the Victim.
Dr. D. r. Mcneil OF Nashville, Tenn,
who was returning in an automobile
from a trip to Great Falls, went to the
assistance of the victim. He found
Divers being cared for on the ground
nearby, water having been thrown upon
him to extinguish. the blaze. Many
holes had been burned through his
clothing, and his flesh had been burned
and blackened. The sight presented was
such that several ladies' tainted and
had to be looked after by other pas
sengers.
Men women and children crowded about
the burned form of the man lying on the
ground near the branch, many of them
neglecting to notice the danger i'm which
they placed themselves by walking neal
the live wire. 1t was with considerable
trouble that those who rendered assist
ance succeeded in keeping back the crowd
1t was not until some time after the
fatality that repairmen appeared, rem
edied the trouble and restored traffic.
Divers Taken to the Hospital.
T. X Maupin. brother of J. NJ. Maupin.
got his big touring car ready, and when
Dr. Mcneil had finished his first-aid
treatment he hurried the dying man to
the Georgetown University Hospital. The
chauffeur paid no heed to the speed laws,
covering part of the distance at a sixty
mile-an-hour gait. Drs. Moser and Ready
were waiting at the hospital, ready to
take charge of the motorman. Several
persons who accompanied the motorman
to the hospital assisted in carrying him
into the building.
The physicians looked at the patient
and shook their heads. realizing that
death was question of bat few hours
Divers first thought, when he regaineI
consciousness. was of his wife and two
week-old child. Mrs. Divers had left
her sick bed and gone to the hospital
from her home. 72S F street northeast.
as soon as she heard of the accident and
she was on hand when her husband asked
for her.
Motorman Divers was thirty years old.
ne had been in the employ Of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company
about three years, and was regarded as
an excellent and careful motorman. Capt.
Schneider of the seventh police precinct
directed members of his command to in
vestigate the accident and report to the
coroner