Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1911-12-26
Was Working on City Electric Light
Wires When He Inadvertently
Touched Live Wire
With Hand.
HANDS BURNED TO A CRISP
Young Man Twenty-Four Years Of
Age-In City's Employ Only
Short Time.
HANDS BURNED TO A CRISP

One of the most terrible, occur
rences that has ever taken place in
Webster City happened Friday af-
ternoon when NAT" House, one Of
the city's electric line men, seized
live wire In his bare hands and re-
ceived twenty-thr hundred volts
OF electricity, killing him instantly!
The accident occurred about five
o'clock in the afternoon.
It seems that short time before
this something wrong was discover
ed on electric wire circuit number
four. This circuit runs along Su-
perior street. Superintendent Null
Tins had been at the city plant and
when the electrician, Frank Corbin,
called him up he was told to find
the crew Of line men and repair the
line on circuit number four Mr..
Corbin then told the crew of the
trouble and they went to Superior
street to find the cause. The line
was found to be tangled in the
branches OF tree on the corner OF
Superior and Division streets, and
Mr.. House at once started to
straighten out the tangle. A ladder
was placed against the electric light
pole which Mr.. House ascended. He
had been on the cross arm of the
pole but a short time when he inad-
vertently seized or touched the al
ternative current wire-the contact
instantly electrocuting him. II
Robert Boyd and w. Bennett were
also working on the line with Mr..
House. Mr.. Bennett was in the tree.
The first warning they had was the
dash on the wire as Mr. House
touched it. When this flash Of fire
was noticed by Mr.. Bennett he at
once called to House Of the danger,
but It was. too late, as no sign of life
was seen by the other men after the
first warning. When he received no
answer to his outcry. Mr.. Bennett
realized the full force of the trag-
edy.
In cases when 1t is necessary for
the linemen to work with high ten
sion wires the current at the power
house is turned of. However, they
are expected to telephone to the
plant and ask that the wire on
which they are to work be discon-
nected. For some reason it seems
this was neglected Friday. When
struck by the current no outcry was
heard from Mr.. House. showing that
the shock was overpowering and In
stantaneous.
Following the terrible accident.
Mr.. Bennett at once assembled the
telephone pole on which House was
working. Wilbur Jones, young
man who was passing at the time,
also mounted the ladder to assist
Mr.. Bennett in letting the body
down. AS the electricity held the
man fast, 1t was necessary to use
great care in freeing him to avoid
the danger of the current passing
through the other men. In order TO
loosen the hold of the electricity Mr..
Bennett struck Housess arm. This
disconnected him and his body was
held by the men on the ladder. Ow-
ting to their great weight the lad
der broke and all three fell to the
ground. Medical assistance was
called and arrived at the place In a
very few minutes The body was
taken into the Hastings home on Su-
perior street where the physicians
worked unavailing over the dead
man.
Coroner Arch Foster held an in
quest over the body next morning.
The verdict OF the jury was that
Mr.. House had accidentally been
killed by coming in contact with a
live electric wire while in the en-
pioy OF the city.
Mr.. House was married only last
spring and his young wife is pros
trated with grief at their home on
water street. The deceased was a