Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-02-22
rae ELrCTRIC w,REs

Verify is it true that every bitter has its
sweet, every pleasure its bane. Nearly all
the JOYS of life are accompanied by sadness
and sorrows, and it seems that everything
that promotes our material interests is not
without alloy. Steam is the fulcrum and
lever which moves the world, but it is nearly
as destructive to human life as war, famine
and pestilence. The great business interests
of the country could not be transacted with
out the aid OF electric wires, but it seems
that they have become a pub ic nuisance
Fortunately the greatest discovery of ancien
or modern times is not destructive to human
life, but it seems many evils accompany the
great multiplication of wires in the large
cities Even the smaller cities have COM
menced a war of determination upon the
electric wires. Mayor Rand, of Mime
apolis, has vetoed the ordinance permitting
the Brush and Edison electric light systems
to be introduced into the city over which he
presides as mayor. The veto message of
Mayor Rand is long and seems to have been
prepared with great care. He shows the
danger of the aerial system and the practi-
cabiiity of the underground system adopted
in London, and refers to the fact that the
mayor OF Chicago refused permission to the
Brush Company to operate in that city, ex-
cept by underground cables. We give below
the main points made by Mayor Rand in his
veto message:
The recent accidents that have occurred in Phil
adelphia, Cincinnati and elsewhere, and the pro-
found consideration created thereby, have finally
compelled the regreful conviction that the neees-
.TfW
amount to every other consideration. A conflagra-
lion nis ht easily destroy many times the amount
days ago in Philadelphia, owing TO the Brush wires
having come in contact with a telephone wire,
both ends OF the current and two telephone boxes
in different parts OF the city were instantly burned
and If this had occurred at night, the danger OF
! am informed by the fire marshal that two
three ncipient Fl es have been already oecssioned
by the same cause in this city; notab this was
the case with the fire in Dingeman x Smiths fac
tory. There Is no longer any doubt that the dan
gers arising from transmitting powerful currents
of elect lefty in mid air and in close proximity to
telegraph A. telephone wires, can scarcely be ex-
aggerated. and no bu ines h 'use or private resi-
deuce in which Geographic or telephone wire
terminates is secure from the danger OF fire at any
works are In operation. A magazine OF
pro hc source of danger than the aerial system of
transmitting powerful currents OF electricity in
to lay the Bru- wires under ground; this system,
Mr. A J. Camp, who has charge of the Brush
WOrkS IN fnilaur ll1nli, say Will 90 away Win
accidents from he meeting of electric Wires and
telephone and Telegraph wares IN the open air, =
As am not expert may he pardoned for call
ing your attention to the opinion of Mr.. David
Brooks, the eminent ele trician of Philadelphia,
who recently made a professional tour of Europe,
after attending the Paris Electric Exposition. IL
CONNIE ting on th- recent electric accidents Ii
that city, he says II have yet TO q single case
where Il fire was caused by underground wires.
The only correct w,4y of running the wires by
the underground method. IL is the easiest thing
In the world to do. In Lond n the wires
coated with gutta- psrcha, and laid simply under
ground 1t Is u mistake 10 suppose they are laid
In the sewers. Ia underground wires, properly
laid, there be fire or accident. a fire
will not burn without air, and in the under
ground system air can get to the wires. The
system of running wires on poles is extremely
dangerous. In many cases along Chestnut street,
Philsde phia. telephone and te egraph wires are
close t,getr that Il stretching or sagging of
few inches will cause the wires 10 meet and rub
aga INST eaeh other In short time the insulating
material wears off. and the electric wires send
powerful current along the smaller wire both
ways, thus creating fire at each end Of the cur
rent. or supposing that electric wire should
eresk, ana the two ends thus formed should fall
10 the ground as they naturally would. II a man
should thoughtlesaly take up both ends he would
De Instantly killed or II the currents were weak,
he would be very badly shocked Should, how