High-Voltage Hazards on Tacoma’s Lines
Two linemen survive massive electrical shocks during a winter storm and a routine repair job.
The story, cleaned up
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Two men almost met death by electrocution. R. C. Wright, a lineman for the electric light department, while trying to fix a wire on a pole 20 feet above the ground, made a mistake and cut the wrong wire. An immense voltage passed through him, knocking him off his balance; he fell, and his belt caught on a hook, stopping his fall for an instant before it broke and he hit the ground. The flesh of his hands was roasted to the bones, and a dozen stitches had to be taken in his face. He will recover. J. M. Moody, a lineman for the Northern Pacific, was the other victim. A wet snowfall froze on the wires until they were more than an inch thick, and scores were broken. Moody mistook a light wire for a telephone line and picked it up to cast it off the sidewalk. He received 2,200 volts and was unconscious for 10 hours, but came out in good condition.
“The flesh of his hands was roasted to the bones, and a dozen stitches had to be taken in his face.”
Working on electrical lines remains one of the most dangerous occupations, though modern safety standards have replaced the 'guess-and-check' methods of the early 20th century. These incidents highlight the precarious nature of maintaining the infrastructure that powered Tacoma's rapid industrial expansion.
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