Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-07-27
POWER COMPANY IS EXON
GRATED FROM ALL aLAME

maker of the Power Company and
Others ehowed That Current Was
Cut on on Circuit Where Accident
Occurred.
Coroner w, X. Kline held an in.
quest Monday evening into the Gil.
cumsiances of the death of James Nc
Bride, South High street. the lineman
who was killed by live wire about
$50 o'clock Sunday evening while re-
pairing broken electric light wires al
the corner OF East Burke and Spring
streets. The inquest was held in the
w. II. wilen undertaking rooms and
lasted from 8 TIL 10 o'clock. Six Wit
nesses testified before the jury.
The first witness called was d. M
Kilmer, who resides on the southwest
corner of East Burke and Spring
streets. opposite the pole ON which
James Mcbride lost his life. He testi-
fed that W. r. Harrison came to his
house shortly after 6 o'clock Sunday
evening. July Fl, and from there tele.
phoned to the power house to ascer
tain IL the electric current was shut
Off; that he then went out to the
street and told Mcbride that Engineer
Garrett said he thought the current
was of. but they should be careful
Mr.. Kilmer said that about fifteen
minutes later he heard the scream of
man as though In great agony and,
/ looking up, he saw man on the cross
arm OF the electric light pole; that
Harrison rushed into his house to tel
ephone the situation to the power
house. but the telephone line was
busy then. Mr.. Kilmer said his son
Nevin Kilmer hurried to the telephone
exchange and phoned to the plant
himself Witness said that Mcbride
was in a sitting position on the cross
arm when he first saw him; then the
body relaxed and settled to the left,
his head and neck resting on wire
The next witness was Dir. s. N.
Myers, who testified that he was call
ed to the scene OF the accident. and
that after Mcbride was lowered from
house where the man was carried. DR.
Myers said he tried to resuscitate Nc
Bride by means Of artificial respira.
ton. but failed because the man was
dead.
VIM. r. Harrison, the lineman sent
with Mcbride to repair the broken
wires at the place mentioned, was the
next witness. He said he told Nc
Bride that the current was of on the
wires he was working on, but was not
sure about the other wires: said he
was on the ground while Mcbride was
up on the poie, that when he heard
Mcbride shrek he ran down to the
power house and told Engineer Gar
rett what had happened TO Mcbride
and then Supt. Shoemaker shut OFF the
/ current.
G. l., Garrett. engineer at the power
house, was then called to the stand.
He testified that he was in charge OF
the power plant Sunday evening, July
81; that about o'clock Mcbride and
Harrison started out to repair the
broken wires at the corner OF East
Burke and Spring streets. He said
that Mcbride ordered him to shut off
the current on line No. and the small
motor circuit. He said he did so In
the presence OF Mcbride and Harris
on. Later. he testified. he got tele-
phone call asking II the current was
Off the line to be repaired. He replied
that the current was off the two cir
cults Mcbride ordered off. Shortly
afterwards witness said Harrison
came running into the power house
and told what had happened to Nc
Bride while working on the pole and
that Supt Shoemaker shut off the cur
rent at once.
Jacob A. Keiter, lineman, then testl-
fed. He said he found the insulation
In good condition Sunday evening, ex-
cept where the wires were broken.
Witness said Mcbride could have
made the repairs I othe wires without
going up to the crossarm OF the pole
and thereby coming in contact with
the live wire. He testified that he as
sisted In lowering Mcbride from the
pole to the ground.
A. NJ idbt WiticnS Chiftd Wds oupt.
Hiram b. Shoemaker OF the Martins
burg Power Co. He said there were
three breaks In the wires caused by
the violent storm Sunday evening. He
repaired the one on High street him
self; j. A. Keiter and Walter Shoals
tall one on East King street, while
he sent Mcbride and Harrison to
Burke street Witness testified that
he was In the power house when Har-
rison came running IN TO tell him
what had happened to Mcbride. He
said he cut off the current at once
and directed Lineman Keiter 10 go up
and get Mcbride down off OF the pole.
He testified that Engineer Garrett had
previously shut OFF the circuit that
Mcbride was going to repair. Supt.
Shoemaker said that Mcbride knew
that the other wires where he was
working we're charged that Mcbride