Evening star., 1912-07-16
INQUEST IS ORDERED
Investigation of Accident in
Electric Car Barn.
TWO MEN LOSE LIVES
William J. Regain and Daniel Kelly
Killed by Shock, Three
Others Injured.

An inquest will be held at the morgue
tomorrow morning in order that q jury
may pass upon the killing of William
James Regan and Daniel Kelly. elec-
tricians, while they were at work in the
lexington car barn Of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company yester-
electricity passed through their bodies
from a transformer they were taking
from the building, which had been dam
aged by Sundays storm.
A peculiar feature of the occurrence
was that the electricity passed through
the body of Norman Norton, foreman
of the working force Of electricians, and
was transmitted by him to the trans
former, which had not been connected.
He received the full force Of the electric
current and escaped with only a burn on
his back. while Franz Halleen and George
Pickering. who also received the shock
caused by transmission of the current,
were SO seriously injured that they were
taken to the Casualty Hospital.
Foreman Norton, whose home is at
1901 M street northwest was taken
home. Norton was working between
the transformer and the wall in the
cellar. in which water, which flowed in
from Sundays rain, was about six or
eight inches deep, and his back acci-
dentally came in contact with one of
the insulated wires carrying the elec-
tricity.
Wet Insulation Adds to Force.
It is stated that the wet insulation
1t would otherwise have been. and the
}~o nvat v~~Sr
there was flash of electricity, two
men dropped dead and the three others
were thrown to the water-covered
floor. H. G. Crockett of 1411 Rhode
Island avenue. who was working in
back turned toward the men when the
accident happened. He made q quick
turn when he saw the fash and learn
ed Of the seriousness Of the contact.
Men from other parts of the barn
hurried to the cellar to assist the in
jured men, DR.. j. j. Kaveney. one of
the railway company's surgeons, soon
joining them. 1t was explained that
Norton was pushing the transformer,
while the others were pulling 1t, to get
it from it's position and 1t was when
Norton Strengthened himself that his
back came in contact with the charged
wire.
It ID believed that the accident would
not have happened had not the insula-
ton been soaked with water. Norton has
been in the employ Of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company for
twelve years, and has always been re-
garded as a careful electrician. His con-
tact with the wire yesterday. it is said,
was wholly unavoidable.
Fall Breaks the Circuit.
Norton's fall to the foor broke the cir
-
an additional shock from electricity for
Halleen, Pickering and himself, and when
Crockett reached them it was found to be
perfectly safe for him to take hold of
the survivors and assist them from the
room.
Regan resided at $50 Washington street
northwest. and Kelly's home was at 34O2
N street northwest. Halleen lives at 1872
18th street northwest, and Pickering at
225 9Th street northeast. Physicians at
the hospital say the injured men will re-
cover.
Coroner hewitt visited the scene OF the
accident and made an investigation. He
examined the room in which the accident
happened. heard statements Of officials
and employees Of the Washington Railway
and Electric Company, and expressed the
belief that the accident was unavoidable.
He preferred to have q jury pass upon the
for tomorrow morning.
First Instance Of It's Kind.
Speaking of the peculiar feature of the
accident. DR.. hewitt said he thought 1t
was the first one in this city in which
death had been caused by human being
acting as a conduit. Through Mr.. Nor
ton the current was transmitted through
q piece Of machinery, killed others. while
he escaped death. A number of such
deaths have occurred in other places. DR..
hewitt said. and they are recorded in
medical journals
The coroner selected the body OF Regan.
who was nineteen years old and unmar-
ried, as the subject for the inquest. His
body was taken to the morgue. where an
autopsy was performed today, and after 1t
had been viewed by the jury 1t was de-
nvered to an undertaken and taken to his
home.