Roper, Dan - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Mrs. John Hale was called to Terre Haute Tuesday morning by the death of her brother-in-law, Dan Roper. Roper lived here until lately and was in the city on July 5, visiting his many friends. The Terre Haute Express of Tuesday gives the following account of his tragic death:

“A sad accident happened a short time before 10 last night in front of hose house No. 1 of the city fire department, and as a result one of Terre Haute’s bravest and most stalwart fire laddies lies stiff and cold in the morgue.

It was 9:45 and a group of the blue uniformed colored men sat before the entrance to the building chatting and enjoying the cool night breeze. Among this group was Daniel Roper, or as he was so well known, “Dan.” He was one of the largest men on the force and as good natured as he was big boned. He was a handsome fellow, with an open countenance and eyes of kindly light. All the little boys in town knew him and waved their hands at him as he passed swiftly on the bouncing, clanging fire wagon in response to the brazen notes of alarm. And when the fire was reached and the dangerous posts assigned Dan was never one who faltered. He was always where he was wanted and ready for the most desperate action.

While the men were thus seated in front of the entrance, the electric light above the middle of the street suddenly went out. After a little time Roper got up and walked over to the pole which supports the metal reel by which the arc is raised and lowered.

It will be remembered by citizens of Terre Haute that last winter Schafer was killed by a current of electricity which ran down the wire supporting the globe. That light had also gone out, and Schafer had been sent to fix it. He had no sooner touched the crank to the end of the reel than he was a corpse.

Since that time the company has provided all of these wires by which the light is lowered with a glass neck, breaking the connection in case through whatever cause the current which runs over the wires, becomes ground on the pole. Had Roper caught the wire below this glass insulator, the lamentable accident would never have happened. But it is very near the reel on that pole and the poor fellow reached up a foot or so above it and grabbed the wire with his left hand. His idea was to shake the globe so that the upper carbon would jar down on the lower and the light flash forth once more. This has often been done before.

The companions of Roper watched him passively, never thinking there was danger. They saw him reach up and clasp the wire. The next instant a terrible scream brought them to their feet and the blood to their faces, as they saw their comrade writhing on the ground.

They caught Dan up and carried him into the house, while one of their numbers ran for a doctor and another gave the alarm for the patrol. Drs. Crane and Combs were on the scene in a short time, but before they reached the spot the man had breathed his last. He lived no longer than three or four minutes after he was carried into the room.

When the patrol wagon came the body was placed on a stretcher and carried to the morgue. In the excitement after the accident the shoes of the unfortunate fireman had been taken off and the feet were exposed. On the sole of the right foot were six black spots, three on the ball and three on the toes. There were three similar spots on the bottom of the left foot. Such they seemed at a cursory glance. But a closer inspection revealed the fact that they were holes—holes literally bored by the electricity on leaving the body. A little ridge of cooked and blackened flesh stood around the circle. The current had passed down the bone of the legs and had burned the holes out between the bone and the ground into which it passed.” =s