The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-06
Arthur Dixon of Provo and Viii
liam Blood of Midway Meet
Instant Death.
SALT LAKER'S ESCAPE ODD
High Voltage Runs Through M.
V. Eardley, Brings Fatal Re-
suits to Companions.

Through the deadly power OF the mys.
terious electric current, Arthur Dixon OF
Provo, aged IL wears. and William Blood
Of Midway. aged % years. were instantly
killed al the MurdoCk power plant in n
strange manner at $50 o'clock yesterday
morning. while NJ. V. Eardley. aged -
years, OF Salt Lake City. who was the
first to receive the shock and who ap-
peared To be in the most imminent dan
ger. ESCAPED with severe burns, which are
not likely 10 cause permanent injury.
This accident. which cost two lives. is
so singular that il has aroused great
interest and provoked discussion among
the electricians OF Salt Lake City as TO
how the results could have been attained.
The Murdoch power plant is situated
on the Provo river six miles southeast
Of Park CITY. Dixon, who was master
contractor. was being assisted by Flood
and Eardley in CARRYING a new trans
former into new Substation, Eardley
was in front backing into the building.
when he came in contact with an unin-
sulated electric wire carrying high
voltage.
There was a flash. a sizzling of burn
ing lesh and the current passed through
Eardley's body. through the transformer
and in the bodies of his companions, kill
ing them instantly, while Eardley. who
transmitted the deadly current TO his fel-
low workmen, escaped with severe burns.
Escape Is Mysterious.
As 10 why the two men should suffer
instant death and the man who was the
medium through which the current was
transmitted escape With comparatively
slight injuries. a wcll-known electrician
of Salt Lake last night said:
1t is n cause OF wonderment TO me.
and not being advised as to all the cir
cumstances in the case | could not speak
with authority, but there are three pos
sible and probable explanations.
The man who escaped may have been
standing upon dry wood, new plank or
board. for instance. the others upon the
ground. II is, Of course, We'll known that
wood possesses an insulating property
which prevents the current from taking
effect. while the earth, particularly If
damp. has exactly the opposite effect.
'Then. too. II is not improbable that
Eardlcy when the shock came dropped
the transformer. causing il "a come for
an instant iii direct contact with The live
wire This would have augmented the
force Of the current which his compan-
ions received.
There is one other explanation which
is possible, but less probable: 1, might
he that Eardlev was less susceptible tn
the Influence OF the electric current than
either OF his companions and so suffered
less from the shock, There are persons
who receive with lmpunitv current that
would Kill the ordinary man"
AS soon as possible after the accident
the bodies OF Blood and Dixon were con-
Ncyed TO Heber City. whence the body
Of Blood was taken TO his home AT Mid
day and the body OF Dixon was sent To
his homo at Provo. E,ardlcy was taken
The Murdoch power plant which fur
nishes electrical energy to the Park City
mines. Is controlled by the Knight in
terests.
Strikes Live Wire.
Eardlcy was taken 10 the home of his
mother at 52l South Main street in this
city, where he was resting well hate last
night. lie declined 10 be interviewed AT
length. as he said that In case of law
suit he probably would be called on TO tes-
statement until tliat time. IIis back and
one foot arc badly burned, although he is
not regarded as being in danger of death,
DR.. A. j. Hosmer Is attending him. His
account Of the accident as told 10 his
mother was follows:
The live wire was guarded by a wire
which was about as high as my shoul-
ders. but we were carrying "A heavy trans
former and ! was going backwards and
stooplng so that I did not strike the
guarding wire. ] ran into the live wire
striking it with my shoulders. and the
current passed through my body to the
other men. There were four OF MS carry
were killed. although they were not
burned as i was. The other man was
not hurt. When I recovered the other
men who were present were afraid, TO
touch us. and when I found that | could
move ] lifted The other men away from
the wire. thinking that they were alive
When the doctor arrived he Informed me
that the others were past help and that
| was the one who needed assistance"
Arthur Dixon was widely known In
Provo. where he was born October 5.
builder and contractor, He Is survived
by a widow and several brothers and
sisters. one OF the brothers Is former
State Treasurer John be GRAY Dixon
William Blood had been resident Of
Midway for some time and left n widow.
father and mother at Midway.
Body Found in River,