DEATH BY ELECTRICITY.
Tub terrible uncertainty of electricity in its effect upon the human body was never better illustrated than in the case of Mr. H. M. Stevens, Boston, who,four years ago, received a shook equivalent to 1500 volts—the greatest on record, we believe. Tho fact that ho recovered, after awful agony, and is to-day a healthy robust man, argues strongly against the claim that electricity affords a simple and efficacious method of producing death. Mr. Stevens is assistant superintendent of the Boston Electric Light Company. He was superintendent four years ago of the Middlesex Electric Lighting Company, Lowell. Massachusetts. In making a tour of inspection of the machines, he came in coutract with the brushes of a 35 light dynamo. He slipped upon an oily spotou thelloor, fell forward, instinctively put out both hands to save himself, and unwittingly grabbed with cither hand the positive and negative brushes of the machine. A circuit was completed, with his body as the medium, and a force of electricity equal to 50,000 caudle power, are about 1500 volts, shot instantaneously through him, and prostrated him violently on the field of the machine. There he lay for a few seconds, the current all the time entering his body, until finally, from bis owu weight, lie dropped off on to the floor. To all appearances lie was dead. Mr. Stevens, how ever, was not dead. He was picked up and carried away. The pulse and the heart showed no signs of life. The eyes ivere sst, Ihe limbs were ri«id, and thn arms were drawn close to the body. The ilesh was cold. The tm'dioil men pounded and rubbed for an hour, but the body never moved a muscle. It was at this point that the un'orscen, by some called the miraculous 3, happened. Mr. Stevens had all the while been insulated with enough electricity i:i his system to charge another machine. He had been lying all I lie time on the lloor. An attendant at the station suggested placing the body on the ground, where it was damp. This was done and Mr. Stevens began to revive. After an hour the patient became conscious, but it was the consciousness of agony. The electricity was slowly passing out of the body into the ground. After treating him for a couple of weeks, the doctors brought him round, but from that day to this Mr Stevens has carried the reminders of that terrible charge of 1500 volts in his body. He is a sort of dynamo all in himself. He is very sensitive to tho approach or presence of a thundcivtorm, and always feels depressed during its continuance. As the charge with which it is proposed to excr.te murderers in New York, since the new law on the sudjecb has been enacted, is no greater than that which passed through Mr, Stevens's body, it is open to question whether they will be killed at all.—lron.
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Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2719, 14 December 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)
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490DEATH BY ELECTRICITY. Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2719, 14 December 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)
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