Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Johnson, William V June 19, 1902
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Suzy Fleming wardflemin@aol.com May 18, 2013, 8:27 pm

Virginian Pilot June 21, 1902
How Johnson Died
Curious Manner in Which Lineman Johnson Met His End
Additional light was thrown yesterday at the coroner’s inquest upon the 
peculiar manner in which William Johnson, a Bay Shore Terminal company 
lineman, met his death Thursday. Both wire, those which completed the circuit, 
were the property of the Norfolk Railway and Light Company and were attached, 
to the opposite sides of the cross arm. Johnson stood on an iron bracket and 
in reaching forward his trousers, wet with perspiration and making a good 
conductor, touched a “raw”, or not insulated space on one wire.
This did not complete the circuit, and he took no notice. Then as he bent 
forward, his wrist, through the strangest of chances, touched another “raw” 
place on the other wire, and he was electrocuted.
The voltage of these wires, which compose as alternating high tension current, 
is very great, nearly if not quite 2,000 volts.
This is the amount that is used to punish murderers in New York and it is four 
times as much as is required to run a trolley car.
As a general rule the smaller wires always have the greater voltage. The large 
massive wires carry voltages of 500 and 600, and are not necessarily fatal; 
although as a general rule they are heavily insulated. The high tension wires 
with which Johnson met his death is a perfect patchwork out by the city park. 
The line has been repaired with different sizes of wire, and in many places 
there may be noticed patches of almost pure white. These, so a prominent 
electrician states, are making connection, burning the insulation into ashes. 
They are as fatal as the live wire.
The verdict of the coroner’s jury, yesterday, given in full, is as follows: 
That the said William V. Johnson came to his death on June 19, 1902, about 4 
o’clock p.m. on Church Street extended, Park Place, as a result of coming in 
contact with live wires belonging to the Norfolk Railway and Light Company. 
(signed) Dr. Batts, Coroner, W.R. Matthews, Foreman, Jno. H. Fendley, Charles 
H. Diggs, Fred W. Vaile, Frank Bergholder, James Dabney
Johnson’s people reside on Thirty-Ninth Street, Lambert’s Point, but they will 
not state at present whether they intend to enter suit against the Norfolk 
Railway and Light Company or not.


Additional Comments:
Elmwood

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