Alfred Titheradge – A Painful Death

While searching some newspapers I came across the following article

Philadelphia Inquirer on 29 April 1902

Linesman Plunged from Pole

By the sudden breaking of one of the brackets on an electric light pole yesterday afternoon, Alfred Titheridge, 42 years old, 4246 Linmore Avenue, was thrown to the ground thirty feet below and narrowly escaped being killed. Titheridge is a trimmer employed by the Powelton Electric Light Company and was working upon a pole at Fifty-sixth and Market Streets. One of the steel brackets placed on each side of the pole became loosened and the man was pricipitated to the ground. In his flight through the air he turned and struck on his feet. Both of his legs were broken as was his wrists. He was sent to the Presbyterian Hospital.

Unfortunately, Alfred was not as lucky as the article states and it is clear that his injuries were more severe that was first realised. He died the day after the story was written, on 30th April 1902 and was buried on 5 May 1902.

Alfred’s correct surname was Titheradge not Titheridge and his story has been written in an earlier blog 

Alfred was born in Paddington in 1859 son of Edward Eatrill Titheradge and Eliza Peters. He first appeared in the records in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1887 married to Elizabeth. We have no record of his marriage to Elizabeth nor his arrival in the USA. Alfred and Elizabeth had at least 8 children and as far as we know all but one died in childhood. The surviving child, Maud Titheradge, was born in 1889. Thirteen-year-old Maud was left an orphan on Alfred’s death as her mother, Elizabeth, had died in 1897 when Maud was eight. Maud later married Ralph Gras and they had at least 9 children.

The story illustrates the lack of Health and Safety regulations in this era, as Alfred had no safety harness or anything else to prevent his fatal fall.