The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1913-10-03
DEATH BY ELECTRICITY
James P. Anderson Touches a
Live Wire Carrying
1880 Voltage
FALLS TO THE GROUND DEAD
One of the Most Shocking Acct
dents That Has Ever o.
CURED In Oroville

ager of the Oroville telephone system
was almost instantly Killed at 1910
o'clock Monday morning by coming in
contact with a high tension electric
wire carrying 16,5OO voltage, that con-
meets the substatiOn in town with the
power plant at the falls of the Sim;l-
kameen river.
Monday morning c. C. Hedger, local
manager of the power plant and in
charge of the distributirg system, was
notified by the contractor building the
Covert block that some of the wires
were in the way of the amasons, with
the request that they be removed Mr..
Hedger's assistant was busy on antheI
part of the net work of lighting and
power lines about town, and Mr.. He'd
ger engaged Mr.. Anderson, an exper-
fenced line man, to assist him to shift
the wires. The substation is at the
corner of the alley, facing Central av-
enue, between Main and Vancouver
streets, and in the immediate rear of
the Covert block. There are two poles
in front of the station few feet apart
upon which the high tension wires are
strung, carrying 16,500 volts. Mr.. An
derson attached his climbers and
mounted to the highth of about 30
feet and straddled cross arm on the
pole on the east side, with his right
foot resting on guy wire. Mr.. He'd
ger was on the ground at the foot of
the pole, directing the change. Brack-
cts were to be nailed or the pole, and
two were attached to rope and hoist
ed to the cross arm. Mr.. Anderson re-
marked that one bracket was sufficient
for the purpose, but Mr.. Hedger in
sisted that two should be put up as he
did not. wish to take Gsy chances of
the low tension wire coming in con-
tact with the high tension wire. He
also instructed Mr.. Anderson to put
the brackets on the outside of the pole
as far from the high tension wire as
possible, and warned him Of the volt
age carried by the large wire. Just
AS Mr. Hedger made this statement a
sharp crack was heard that attracted
the attention of the masons working
on the Covert building. Mr.. Hedger
looked up and saw Mr. Anderson's face
distorted and his arms around the pole
as though he had involuntarily grasp
ed it. He called up asking If he (An-
derson) was hurt, but received no
answer. In a moment or two the un-
fortunate mans body relaxed and fell
Imply to the ground. DR.. Elmer was
at once called. There was a slight
fluttering Of the heart but no signs of
consciousness. Death had followed
the shock almost instantainously.
The only way to account for the ac-
cident, as he was firmly seated at the
time and hence could not have lost his
balance, Is that Mr.. Anderson, for
some reason that cannot be under
stood and never can be explained, de-
liberately reached over toward the
high tension wire, which was some
two feet from where he was sitting,
with his left hand. His hand never
came in contact with the wire, but
when close to it the electric current
jumped across to the hand. The wire
is insulated, but the rain Sunday had
left the pole, insulation and ground
wet. Mr.. Andersons foot was on a
guy wire grounded, so that the condi-
tions and the position of the man were
perfect for forming circuit. The
completing of the circuit when MIR.
Anderson was struck caused a sharp
crack that attracted the attention of
several in the immediate neighbor-
hood, who were Mortified to see the
poor man waver for few moments
and pitch heavily to the ground. The
only marks to show the course of the
electricity were slight burns on the
sole of his right shoe. When the body
was prepared for burial there were
small burns on the bottom of both
feet. Friends broke the sad intellig-
ence of the accident to Mrs. Anderson
at the telephone office, as gently as
possible. 1t was some moments before
she could fully realize the import OF
what was told her, and she was pros.
trated for a time Kind friends and
neighbors did all in their power tc
aid and comfort her in her sudden af
| Fiction.
The accident was one of the most
shocking and deplorable that has evel
occurred in Oroville. Mr.. Anderson
came to this county nearly twenty
years ago, first locating at Loomis
He came to Oroville some six or sever
years ago, taking up homestead cas-
of town. He was carpenter by trade
but has done much work on telephone
and electric power lines, and was ac
counted an exceptionally efficient lin,
man. Some three years ago he realiz
ed the need of a local telephone sys
TEN, and installed the one now in use
With but limited means at his com
mand it was hard struggle to max,
the project self-supporting, and onl.
by sheer pluck and the most careful
management was he able to keep tn,
system in operation. Through his ex
ertions the business had Just abou
reached that point where there wer
prospects Of its paying we'll when h
was taken of.
James Peter Anderson was born il
Denmark February Is, 1866, and die,
in Oroville September 20, 1918, making
him AZ years, months and IA day
old. He came to the United State
when he was about 20 years of age
He lived in Nebraska nearly two years