Morning journal and courier., 1882-02-08
Wednesday Morning, Feb. 8. 1852.
THE DANGEROUS WIRES.


In Philadelphia a sharp conflict is going on
| between the conductors of the electric light
business and the insurance companies The
| electric light company has stretched wires
across certain house-tops and the insurance
companies strongly disapprove of this. A
member of one of the companies said that
he considered the wires as especially danger
Gus to the buildings over which they passed
The wires, being made of copper, would sag
with the weight of their length, and in sag
ging would rub against the roof of some
building underneath and so cause an acci-
dent By rubbing against an iron roof the
insulating material, he thought, would soon
wear off, and the next rainy day would
ground the electric current with unpleasant
results. In his opinion the work of stretch
ing cables from roof to roof should be
stopped at once and not allowed to gain a
foothold. The president of the fre-insu-
rance patrol said: ''The only safety in cleo
trio lighting is by putting the wires under
ground. It is extremely detrimental to the
interests of insurance men and property
owners to run the wires as now insulated
over the roofs of buildings, or even along
the streets, for the reason that the insulation
is imperfect and liable to cause an accident
at any time" The matter has been brought
to the attention of the city authorities of
Philadelphia and commission to inquire
into the danger from electric light wires is
talked of.
There ought to be, and that soon, very
thorough inquiry by somebody into this mat
ter. That there is real danger in the present
system of electric lighting has been made
abundantly manifest. But short time ago
the woodwork over the entrance of New
York theater was set on fire by break in the
insulator, which brought the wire in contact
with the wood. Three distinct fires have
also been found to be caused in New York by
the melting of the staples to which the wires
were fastened under the electric heat
mill in Pennsylvania has been burned to the
ground by fire caused by the dropping of
particles of hot carbon upon warps of yarn,
and similar though less destructive fire was
caused in the same way in dry goods store
in Baltimore. Other fires known to be
caused by electric light wires might be men-
toned, and there are many more which are
supposed to have been SO caused. Life is
also, to some extent, endangered by these
wires. The FSremazls Journal recently
pointed out that the wires had frequently to
be cut away from the tops of houses to per-
NIT firemen to work. 1t makes little differ
ence that the handle of the axe with which
this is done is of non-conducting wood. 1t
is likely or almost certain to become wet
from the water which is being thrown upon
the fire. and when wet it is a conductor.
The fireman who cuts the wires with wet
axe is in danger Of receiving fatal shock,
and in the hurry and excitement of great
fire, fireman cutting at electric wires amid
the smoke and flame on housetop is not
likely to be careful to see that his axe-handle
is kept dry. There are also other ways in
which these wires may cause death.
All danger from the wires would not, of
course, be obviated by placing them under
ground, but most of it would They ought,
therefore, to be put there, before they be-
come more numerous and dangerous.