Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-12-11
Electric Current Game From Norwich
Light Wire Sagsed and Touched Telephone Wire Sending
Juice Is Miles to New London Unprotected Telephone
Permitted Conductor Spottswoods Death Protection
Hereafter.

As the result of his investigation OF
the fatal injury 20 Maurice j. Spotts-
wood an eInploye of the Connecticut
company at New London. on Nov. Ii,
Cnfef Engineer and Inspector G. c.
Elweli has made the following report
10 the public utilities commission:
,es On dne ,h 18th inst, about 10 a. M |
southern New England Telephone
company that an employee of the Con-
necticut company. lad been killed
street, New London. went to New
London on the next train and was in
formed by Manager Anderson of the
Connections company that his tele-
phone Hne had been crossed by an
electric light wire early that morning.
I continued through to Norwich and In
company with Mr. Anderson and w. F.
Bogue. superintendent of the gas and
electric department of the city of Nor
wich, examined the poles and wires on
Shipping street where wires were said
to have been crossed, and made several
photographs. On the following day I
made a similar visit to New London,
continuing the investigation. and on
the 18th inst examined witnesses at
the courthouse in Norwich who were
familiar with the case. From this off,
eial investigation and what I gathered
from my several visits to Norwich and
New London / am prepared to give q
history of the case
At 7.30 a. m, on Nov. 10, 1911, Maui
:
p1oyed by the Connecticut company,
when in the performance of his duty,
attempted to use the company tele-
phone ON the pole near the corner of
State and Main streets, New London.
He was seen to remove the hand set
consisting of combination receiver and
transmitter) from the hook and fam
dead. From marks on his hand and
the condition of the telephone after the
accident, there is no doubt that his
death was caused by an electric cur
rent of high potential passing through
his body from his left hand to the
ground.
Wires Crossed.
At the time Spottswood attempted to
use the telephone one of the telephone
wires was crossed with an electric
light wire in the city of Norwich,
more than 13 miles away.
The Connecticut company linemen In
Norwich were aware of wire trouble
and were tracing for 1t; between and
8 o'clock a. m. they found telephone
wire down on Thames street and had
some difficulty in. patching 1t on ac-
count of live current. After making
repairs they followed along Thames
street and down Shipping street, where
they discovered the middle wire of
three city electric light wires, which
are supported by Southern New Eng
land Telephone company poles, caught
over the glass fnsuiator that holds the
southerly Connecticut company tele-
rEone wire, and the wires in contact
four feet easter1y of the crossarm- The
Connecticut company wire which was
crossed is supported on the top arm of
a pole much shorter than the Southern
New England Telephone company's
poles and about midway between them.
When the wires were cleared at
o'clock a. mr. burned spots remained
or both wires, giving evidence OF con-
tact. The sag of the electric light
wires between poles at this point 10
excessive and much greater than al
lowed IN good line construction, and 1t