The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-06-22
E[ECTR0CUTIOnB
.L|NEMAh AR0UsE4
CORONER BURGESS
Will Hold Inquest In Attempt 70 ~
Responsibility For james Drool1s Il
Death; Declares Inspection
Is Not Adequate.
Insulation Had Worn on Edioc
Company's Wire From Which Vie
tim Received Fatal Shock. 81

Coroner Burgess Is amused ovo<
the electrocution Of James Brooks "a
Michigan State Telephone Co. llno
man, In the alley north of BalksrGt5
between Wabash aud Fourteenth-ayoDrK
Tuesday morning. He win hold ON
inquest next week, In an effort TO A. 4
responsibility for Brooks death and
I'D the hope Of putting u stop To guonl
accidents, will confer with the oo&z
poration counsel WITH n view TO hoy3
ing an ordinance prepared that vlIS
make regular inspection of high ten
sion wires compulsory. MS
The public lighting commins1Q
now exercises general sup0rvin1o4
over all the outside wires and has u0<
dertaken to compel the private IU1t
ing companies to make repairs 80;
changes wherever these are doom04
necessary In the opinion Of the inBpo07
tors. The place where Brooks mot hI0l
death evidently was overlooked BON
by the inspectors OF the public n0Ae3|
ing commission and the Edison uluus
mating Co. II was one Of this Co11
pany's wires with which Brooks caMp0'
In contact as he was climbing mp III
telephone pole. -
The high tension wires of the Ediscn
company run on each side Of the telok!
phone company's poles at this point
though they are considerably lowof|
than the telephone wires To reae1'
the top of the telephone pole, Brooks
had to pass between the two high ton-'
sion wires. Because of the high volt.
age these are dangerous even when
the insulation is new. In this -
stance, The Times discovered. Tue.
day afternoon. that the insulatiou ho4'
worn OF from the wire for space a.
FIVE or six inches at q point directly
opposite the pole. and, after the acCfs|
dent to Brooks. was found to be- H.
contact with one OF the iron bolt steps
used by the iinemen in climbing The,
poles. s
IL this bare wire. with its high yQ1t
tage, were in contact With tko -
step when Brooks started to mou1l
the pole his death Is easily explain06s
for the moment he grasped the Dtop
in his upward ascent the full force q
the current would pass through hie
body. II is possible that he took
hold OF the wire to push 1t aside, mot
noticing that the insulation had worn
of. But even IL he had touched The
wire at an insulated point the result
might have been the same.
Fatalities OF this kind have bce4'
all too frequent IN the past and j
think IL is time we should take some
action" said Coroner Burgess to Ten
Times. 'Juries nave made rec0mnSGnr
l.t IN TINA lint thAW'
have counted for nothing. While =
will be difficult to show any crtmin2t
negligence I'm this case, believe the
widow of Mr. Brooks has an action tor
damages against the lighting company.
| shall certainly take the matter up
with the corporation counsel TO see ~.
an ordinance cannot be drawn that
will compel lighting companies to keep
their lines In repair"
An unfortunate feature OF the case
is that Brooks and his wife were
reconciled only two weeks ago after
a long estrangement because Of the
husbands weakness for drink. He mad
promised to strait bten up. and. 30 tar
as known, had been leading an exeia'
plary life since the reconciliation.
Alexander Dow, vice-president and
general manager Of the Edison Illum-
mating Co., said Tuesday morning.
that he had received no report on the
death of the lineman. He expressed
the opinion that the light wire could
not have been long In, contact with the
bolt STEP otherwise the company
would have known about 1t. for the
contact would have caused trouble on
the circuit.
1.-THE probabilities are that the wire
has been in that position only since
the accident" said he The lineman
might have pulled II over there him
self OF IL might have been drawn into
that position when he fell. Those
wires are strung in short spans for
the very purpose OF keeping them clear
of the telephone poles. and IL that wire
was IN contact with the step before
the accident that condition must have
developed since the last rain; other
wise there would have been serious
trouble on the line.
Telephone linemen are not sup
posed 10 touch our wires at all They
know. II they are competent linemen.
that the wires are dangerous and are.
supposed to steer clear OF them The
Insulation Is a protection In way,
hut IL is not real protection. and
any man who touches one of those
wires is taking I great chance"
Supt Frank Mistersky. OF the pubic
commission, will make a per
sonal inspection OF the wires at fho
point where Brooks was killed. n
the wire has been IT. contact with the
holt step for any length of time soSue-
one has been negligent, he admits
Mr.. Mistersky says that. while the
OF the lighting commission
10 exercise supervision over the light
ing wires OF private companies n open
to question, the latter have co-opeF-|
eted splendidly with the Department.
In correcting dangerous conditions
wherever they have been found to sx-