The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1922-05-18
THREE KILLED AT EASLEY
Messrs. Cliff Bolt and Cal McMahan
and Miss Ollie Brown Lose Lives
During Electric Stern Saturday
Afternoon.

Saturday afternoon between and 6
o'clock and resulted in the simultan-
eous death Of Cliff D. Bolt, superin-
tendent of the Iasley Water and
Light plant, and his assistant, A. Cal
McMehan. They were killed by elcc-
ttricity while in sub pumping sta
tion near town. There were no eye
witnesses to the tragedy and it was
not known that the men were dead
until Mr.. Julian passing by the sub
station noticed Mr.. Bolts body lying
in front of the door and further in
vestigation disclosed the dead body Of
Mr.. McMahan in a sitting posture in
cne corner of the building.
While it will never be definitely
known how the men met their un-
timely death an investigation dis
closed the following facts: A 2,30O-
volt electric power line ran from the
main station to the substation and on
the same posts which supported this
heavy power line was strung a private
telephone line between the two sta
tions. During a terrific wind and
electric storm Saturday afternoon
the electric wire and telephone wire
became entangled. Mcssrs. Bolt and
McMahan had gone tc the substatior
to sec if everything was all right
there after the storm, and the theory
is that Mr.. McMahan intended to use
the telephone and when he put his
hand on the phone he received the
full 1900 volts Of electricity frs,
the power line, due to the cntangic-
ment Of the wires. 1t is ais. sup.
posed that Mr.. Bolt picked up q crow
bar and endcavored tc tear The 'elc.
phone from the wall in an effort to
save his assistant and in SO doing
he too received the full charge Of
current and was Knocked through
the deer. Mr.. Bolts hands were
burned and examination of a
crcwbar at the substation disclosed
ncsh sticking to K. Outside of the
burns on the hands there we've no
marks en- Mr.. Bolts body, while Mr..
McManan was slightly burned on the
chin and severely burned on the left
arm.
An hour CT two before Mcss"s.
Bolt ard McMahan met their death
Miss Ollie Brown, an oightccn-ycar-
cid girl, was struck by lightning and
killed while in her hcmc at the Glen
wood Cotton Mill. The triple TRACE
dy cast a deep pail of gloom not
only over the town CT Easley but
ever the entire county.
A double funeral service was held
ovcr the bodies CT Messrs. Bolt and
McMahan in the Easley Baptist
church Sunday afternoon, conducted
by Rev. Mr.. Watson, pastor, and
Rev. D. w. Hictt, assisted by Rev.
FIR. Hunt, pastor of the Easley
Presbyterian church. 1t was one of
the saddcst and most largely attended
funerals ever held in this county.
The church house was not large
o.cugh to held the large concoursc of
so.rcwing friends and relatives who
gathered to pay the last sad rites
The bodies were buried in adjoining
lets in Mountain View cemetery.
Mr.. Bolt, the elder Of the two, was
only thirty-two years of age and
had been superintendent of the Eas
lev water and light plant about
eleven years. Before going to Eas,
lev he lived in Pickens with his moth,
CT, brother and sisters several years
and clerkcd in the store OF Folgc'
& Thornley,. He was by nature jov
ial and kind hearted and every one
who knew him loved him. He wa:
a member of the Baptist church
and O. christian. He married daugh
ter of Mr.. and Mrs. Richard A. Hes
ter and she with four children sur
vivc him. He is also survived b!
an aged mother who was unable t
attend the funeral on account Of sick
Eess, three sisters and one brother
RCV. NllllC d. bOil, WHO at one llil
conducted drug store in Pickens.
Mr.. McMahan was q son of Mrs
Mamie McMahan Of Easlcy and wa
Twenty-Five years of age. He to-
was icv&! and kind hearted and al
who l;ncy. him were lis friends. II
was asc member cf the Baptis
church and a christian. He mario
q daughter Of the widow Duckwort
CT Easlcy and is survived by hi
wife and two small children. He
also survived by his mother and scv