Caught on a live Electric Wire.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 3, Issue 13, 16 February 1892, Page 3

Caught on a live Electric Wire.

Panama, October 26.

This city has had an appalling experience of the ehtctic wire potent povrer to kill. Some boys at play detached a naked telephone wire and caused it to hang from the support to the ground trailing over the wires of the eletric light company, at about 7 p.m. a police lieutenant discovred the wire hanging to the street and commenged to haul it in and coil it about an old ?;aslight post. The act of drawing the ine wire over the the rubber insultaiion of the eh ctric light wire, caused it to cut into and through the latter. Suddenly the officer was seen to spring violently into the air and fall hack unconscious. Fortunately he had not ireeived the full force of the current anl soon recovered. A great crowd was instantly on the scene, but were kept back by a policema», while another officer ran to notify the flcctric light paoplo. Meanwhile a cab came driving rapidly along. Tnr policeman shouted vigorously, "Alto! Alto!" and the crowd took up the warning cry in chorus, but all to no purpose. As if driven by fate the vehicle rushed on and right over the deadly wire. Instantly ths horse reeled and plunged head-long to the ground, its flesh sizzling. The cab was not overturned, and the driver sprang out and rushed to the animals aid. Regardless of warning yells from the crowd, he grasped the trailing " string" that had upset the horse. At that instant the wire swung across his forehead Went right through the skull almost to the ears and there retnnined, although the unfortunate n tim fell forward ov r the horse. A»d ii"W a frightfull swim never to

be forgotten by the spectators was witnessed. The electric fluid literal! filled the man's head, nDd iii a momentlifs eyes had Iven completely inciier rtt-d. Then the fhsh and skin smoked Jind MJzzli-d until ihey were reduced almost to nsht'S. All the while the sp-arks played about, the head in an ■wf'ul shower, the»yes literally glowing with a consuming fire

H was several minutes before the electric light could be turned off, and when it was, the body was found to be partially burnrd to ashes, the head beiug completely so. There were at the time between fifteen hun lr. d and two thousand volts going over the wires.