of tree fire; trouble was due to wire of series arc street lighting circuit being in contact with limb of tree, with consequent arcing and flashing at point of contact; no damage. January 18, 7.20 p. m., Dorchester avenue and Edison green; Engine 43 called on still alarm on account of pole fire at above location. Same was due to wire of 2,300 volt A. C. circuit breaking away from insulator and dropping to crossarm on pole; crossarm was burned through; circuit was cut out for the night. January 25, 5.45, p. m., corner Dorchester avenue and Southampton street; members of Engine 43 called on still alarm on account of burning of insulation of wires on pole; trouble was due to breakdown in insulation of cable of series arc circuit at point just above where it left underground terminal standpipe; no damage except to cable. January 25, 7.30 p. m., Brookline avenue between Longwood avenue and Short street; tree fire reported by Engine 37: same was found to be due to wire of series street arc lighting circuit being in contact with limb of tree, arcing and flashing occurring at points of contact; no damage.

ACCIDENTS TO PERSONS DUE TO ELECTRICITY.

March 4, about 2.08 a.m., William A. Coolidge, an employee in the laboratory of the Edison Electric Illuminating Company, while attempting to change connections at ammeter, inserted in an arc light circuit for testing purposes, removed wire from ammeter while under load, arc resulting when circuit was opened, causing severe burns to the thumb and forefinger of his left hand; Coolidge was under the impression that line was dead when he removed wire. March 8, 1.45 p. m., William H. Crough received injuries at the Charlestown Navy Yard which resulted in his death. Mr. Crough, with others, was at work making repairs in connection with electric crane machinery, and was standing on a grounded iron ladder when he made contact with one of the trolley wires at a potential of 550 volts and fell a distance of about seven feet, fracturing his skull, and dying about ten minutes after accident. March 25, corner of Jeffries and Everett streets, East Boston; shortly after 5 p. m. Arthur T. Collins, during a heavy wind and rainstorm, picked up a 4,500 volt wire, which had broken and fallen to the street, and was killed. March 31, about 1.40 a.m., Joseph Hamilton, an employee of the Boston Elevated Railway Company, and William P. Dunn, also an employee of the same company, received

Severe burns about the face and arms while at work at the Lincoln Wharf power station, short circuit being caused by a wrench which they were using in the removal of an iron pipe making simultaneous contact with live metal of a fuse board nearby. April 3, about 5.07 a. m., Thomas Henry, an employee of the Boston Elevated Railway Company, while at work on a 1,000,000 C. M. cable at elevated structure, Causeway street, received burns to his face as a result of a short circuit caused by metal ladle which he was using making contact with joint of live conductor upon which he was working, the handle of ladle at the same time coming in contact with grounded air pipe used in connection with signaling system. July 6, about 10.10 a.m., Augustus Smith and William Matthews, linemen employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company, while at work on lines of said company running on poles on the easterly side of New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad track, received severe shocks of electricity as a result of wire upon which they were working coming in contact with a 2,300 volt A. C. circuit. July 14, about 4.55 p. m., A. W. Coffin, employed by S. B. Condit Company, while at work at the third station of Edison Electric Illuminating Company, came in contact with live switch on 6,900 volt A. C. circuit, receiving burns to his arm and neck and being thrown to floor unconscious; injuries not serious. July 13, 11.35 a.m., James McClelland, an employee of the Boston Elevated Railway Company, received severe burns to the face, hands and arms as a result of flash of short circuit caused by wrench which he was using for loosening up nuts in connection with the running rail of the Boston Elevated Railway Company at the draw of the new Charlestown Bridge, making simultaneous contact with live third rail of system. August 12, about 4.30 p.m., H. J. Grant and W. T. Maloney, employees of the wiring force of the Boston Elevated Railway Company, while at work at the Lincoln power station received bad burns about the face as a result of short circuit; they were to remove an unused and dead wire from a conduit, it being necessary to first cut wire before its withdrawal; by error they attempted to cut the wrong wire, which was alive, and short circuit was caused by cutters making simultaneeus contact with edge of pipe when wire was cut. September 19, about 1 a.m., Mr. M. Murdock, an employee of the Boston Elevated Railway Company, while at work at State Street Station of the tunnel, received severe burns to

one hand and slight burns to the other, also had his face and hair scorched as a result of short circuit; he was about to make a wire connection for temporary lights to work by when his knife caused a short circuit between the wire and another wire in junction box where he was working, with the result as above stated. October 13, about 9.57 a. m., J. T. Kilroe, an employee of the A. & J. M. Anderson Company, while at work in the third station of the Edison Electric Illuminating Company on Atlantic avenue had right arm burned as a result of short circuit caused by a copper filler which he was inserting between two plates or bars of bus bar, making simultaneous contact with bus bar, which was alive, and grounded framework supporting same; difference of potential between bus bar and ground 127 volts. October 15, about 2.55 p. m., J. H. Smith, a helper in the employ of A. & J. M. Anderson Company, had his left hand slightly burned on back as a result of short circuit caused by his attempting to clamp a lead-covered cable to a live bus bar overhead; Smith was not a capable man for the work which he was on. October 30, about 9.25 a. m., Fred Tangley, an employee of the Edison Electric Illuminating Company, while attempt— ing to start No. 3 generator at the eleventh station of said company by an error caused a short circuit and received burns to the back of his right hand. October 30, E. Erickson, an employee of A. & J. M. Anderson Company, had his left thumb and forefinger burned as a result of short circuit between bus bar of switch board and iron frame supporting same upon which he was at work at the time. November 14, about 8.25 a. m., E. Hambarg, an employee of the Lundin Electric Company, while at work at the eighth station of the Edison Electric Illuminating Company installing a small transformer on switch board, came in contact with knife switch of 2,300 volt A. C. circuit; he received slight burn on left arm and was thrown to floor; his burns were dressed at the station and he resumed work. November 16, about 3.20 p.m., Frank Taylor, an employee of the General Electric Company, while at work at the thir– tieth station of the Edison Electric Illuminating Company, received severe burns to his hands as a result of short circuit caused by monkey wrench, which he was using at the time, short circuiting shunt connections of one of the low potential generators of motor generator Set. December 7, 9.41 a. m., Thomas Power, a carpenter in the