, 1881-12-02
ELECTRIC LIGHTING,



ELECTRIC LIGHTING.
It's Fire f1tAks md rtseir Remedies.
f'rof. iftnrv M"rtan IN lie Sfntfart Engineer.
Some very Insnentablc accidents hnve strongly
directed public attoution to tho question Ut dan.
Eer poAsitty nrcrnlug to ifU anu property
through tho rapidly increasing employment OF
electricity as sourcp ut light ind MS the nctuut
conditions OF thEs dnnpee lite tho true proper
ties Of tho ngoncy from which II may. nrIsc, arc
but ilttlu known, a brIaf explanation ut Hotno
simple facts rclased TO this subject will be Mt
this time seaaonnbte and perhaps useful.
would propose, then. 10 trtnt this subject
under twu general hoads-naMeiy: l., Tho
sources Of danger; :. Tho conditions Of tde!r
prevention, or of security.
Tho suurcus OF danger in tho usc OF tho cIcc-
trio light aro essentially two-tfon the conduct
Ing wircs aud from the otccteic lamps.
As long rs tho clcutFa tlnd or electric energy
IL conveyed by sutlc.elItly good conductor Il Is
lrrtoctly harmless, resembling a river ilowltg
In Its natural chnuncl, ind pnwcrless to rlso
above Its hunks; It Is only when some GnsIer
channel iuto surrounding obiccts Il o,rerpd pr
enle partial obstruction Of II cettailt character
impcdcs Its regular ilow that trouble 1nay artse.
Tho conditions OF tnoao difficulties arc, more-
OVER, very peculiar.
Thus, for example, II two electric conducting
wires forming tho outgoing and returning nuths
Of h powerful current hro placed near each
other. but Are separated by u bad conductor. A.,
for cxninplc, when both Ato tucked OH 10 n
tonrd partition wal. tht current wilt follow tho
wIrt. f1,m ,,,d II, ond wi,h, nn d.vcfun,,out ~
heat III tho sumo. Or tendency to leave tho cob
Auut0r or PISS into uuy AJjacont object. II,
hDweyer, between tho two conducting wires we
intrniuce soina tfHEerfctt cutltluctor, such as d
Wnier continuing tnlncrai matter In suiuuou,
tilon pUrtion vi tho current Will be diverted
nuy tleut tho liIe wire, Or tho nlgtnc dust, or
tho wou wettrll with thu aqueous solution, SO
ASc.lei,is u 4 tns naturc S bnSs arrasy "csHr:
rott. Thus telegraph Or Telephone wire having
fallen ncr9ss ono or ipure oi the conttctor. used
itself cscuplng. hls caused tho fusion Of timer
wires CONNECTED whit.
AS ,e' 1sT e eS9s9 Srfs9ns sage ad s
i.utlcd sIuv by sde..witnolt otnor Insulation, on
tns sa,iio 61ard u ioor, partltion, Or eclIsnx:
vropt:d a very dangerous activity when ito
pur. water. III that cssc tao watcr oiyers ~ IT,
cult through which a cross current ID cstmb-
lished which 'lrst beats tho dump wood. thon
minute ares or electric sparks along this charrch
ion II i'll unrorreeIrt. "
Agatn, two such wires as aboye, jnsecurc,y
attached nenr uarh other, may 10 brought into
momenlary contact and then separated, i,
| ano hcat, viii Gc Established bctweCn them. Ia
ike manner Il Conducting wIru Itself may Uc In
! ncri,rcv conncrtet nj sptne nOnt. and n tho
uGuttIux eds ,lre separated sl|gI1tiy durluR llso
n sln,iiar "urc." with ils Intense liuat may bo
thera tluye1nnrd
T,hosn exmiuniea will rtve fntr Iacu Of lhe
dangers nr1Sir fron. Inc couduciinr wires nf,d
thnv Hrn fnnriYestIr to he v1InrIlrj nuniI1st bY
nrnner sennratton NH insuInttnn nf ths wireS
tbet,sejrrs. III this. huweyur. moro mon. Al
| present / wu4ill only further puint uut that
therc ia no risk whatcyer Uf amy hcatkpE OF utucr
ttHu!f when Ill hur1llMtc ono IL used Us must oe
~ csy sto ,s, "a '; e.nGH tGoa ~ w. nr