AN ELECTRIC SHOCK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2324, 9 January 1890, Page 2

AN ELECTRIC SHOCK.

Au extraordinary «ory of tbe reealts of o intact with an electric lipiittng wire la forwarded by tbe " Dally Newa " correspondent at New Turk. tisrly on Mob Jay morning a telephone wire, worn by mat, broke and fell from tbe high pole on which It wai stretched In Founh Aveme, and In falling dragged with It an elee;r:o lighting «iro, which then lay in a loop uaroia the avenue, Thomas Whelao. driving ft delivery waggon of tbe "derate," came down tbe avenos, and hli horse atep apon tbe fallen wire. The snimsjl stopped ehurt, then sprang into tbe air and fell mottooleei. The oononailon threw Whelan over tbe horse's head Into the street. As be arose, bewildered by the fall, bat Dot hart, he steadied himself agiiast the prostrate beast. A tremendous shock then brew him off his feet clean into the gutter. Whelan B»wrp»rks flying In all directions aa he fail; bat, believing they were the oreatares of bis fanoy and the tff ot of his fall, and, falling entirely to comprehend the situation, he picked himself up onca more and went up to the horse to sac what was the matter. He felt for Us head in the darkness and got hold of the bridle. The shook this time Aung him still farther awty. Whelan than at last understood the significance of the flashes of light and did not try to get op again,, bat lay a till and shoutad for help. Two men who were near heard his orles and ian to see what was the matter. la the durkess of the avenue—for no eleotrlo lights were burning—they saw the tram*r»y track and the horse emltt'ng flashes of blue lime, and sparks were spurting here and there in uaexpeoted places The horse did not stir, and was evidently alone dead A small of burning fleab was parooytlble half a square away. Th'B wondrooa oooarreooea did not atop here, however. The police arrived and endeavored to keep people from contact wl;h the wire. Cue of then, a sergeant, while thus engaged, struck tbe wire with his haad, and fell on tbe pavement as If he hud been shot. He lay there insensible ; but a policeman who had seen him fall saw also the flash whloh the wire | emitted ai it teared the sergeant's fore- | head,, Ho dropped his b&ton, and, selling the sergeant's foot, tried to poll him away with all hi* might. Toe shock wbloh he himiolf received sent him. sprawling; but he resolutely caught hold oooe more, and drew the prostrate sergeant from his perilous posltioa. His whole body, we ara told, tingled aad shivered with the electric carrent as he made bis effort; bat ha scicoeeded, and the tergoaat teoovered slowly. He was dated aud almoßt helpless, bit Restated on staying to givu irders tha: thtt ifcae danger might be averted. It was out of the qicrtion for him to remain, however. His bead wan covered with bloid, 'hare w»a a pain Imprint of the wire 6Cr038 iha fcrebead, and blood had fljwed from a deep ga.-h above tho eye, reoelv-id probably In the fall. He was taken to iho tt»tion-hoa?3, but Lv oep, waioh no ms dared to p ok ap, lay on tbtrack to show where the dacgar might bo met, and the Jead horae waa s;lll bursing slowly io the roadway. Fiua'ly it occurred to someone to ran to the Eleotrie Light O^mpftny'a workshops. Man came and ai onoa out down tbe wire ; but, marvellcna to say, it still bl»z;d acd sputtered in the go tar for half an hour. Elect-b wire* saem to havp odd •*»?« ;n Am rloi