New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-15
ELECTRICITY IN COURT.
WIRES. CURRENTS, SPARKS AND DANGER
so,rE LIVELY PROCEEDINGS BEFORE 'Op"D
INGRAHAM.

INGRAIfAM.
The electricity in Judge lngraham co"i.
room was active yesterday. It affected particularly ~
witnesses in the suit Of John s. Tuttle against tpo
Electric Illuminating Company TO compeib W i' C..,
wires from West Twenty-ffthst. thence the eleeuo
.o ,rco rossed 10 L. f. Chittendcn, the counsel TOT
,h -ooocrtion thence Il communicated TO Wiam VI.
erts and C. c. Beaman, the counsel for the dcIehcc' '
ultimately Il reached Judge Ingrahan himself luz ~
suit was that the proceedings were exceedingly hNeS
The first witness, whose examination SET 'hs 49,.
cnrrcnt moving was william H. McGrath, the electrician
and chief engineer Of the Brush Company MI Ohi''
don questioned him relative to wires and currents
same wrea" said the witness, are three times US
large Others"
''Why Is that 80 ..,..os
Because they have to carry current three te' -
large as others do .-,-....,.
"And the currents are proportonately strong
"Yo NOT necessarily. These large wires frequently
, ,,,,,nts one-thrl "a strong the smaller wires
-" don't understand how that can be-, said MI Op'-
tcnden. "Will you cXplalnf 3,
oval said the witness, "the dynam0cleclic iorce II
not so great We the larger wires III Sucn F' :,
order TO accommodate the larger current Inc lho'oi
newer il less however, than in the smaller current
"Tbo what q, said the counsel for the plaintiff sharply
THE motor force" said Mr.. Eyarts smoothly, in ex-
PLANTATION. , ..,rnod
"ohl" replied Mr. Chittendcn, who thereupon turhoo
his batteries upon the huge wheel used In the factory -
run the DYNAMO machines rs lhcIc hoV " io"'"'' 49,
upon that wheep he asked, insinuatinsy
eyes" was the prompt reply
.Yow as fact do not sparks y of from that wheel in
all directlonsp
STATIC AND ECsTATIC.
"Ob, rcspondcd the witnAs, nouchalantly, ave call
that a static current ~
81 don't care" said the lawyer, exciteily, anything
about your ecstatic currents Answer
Ere the exclamation came TO end Mr. EvartS covered
Tho lower mart Of his face with his handkerchief while
pcculior CLEAN shonc from his eyes and the spectators
were ON their way from litter TO laugh, when inc
Judge seized his gavel and finally secured order after
desperate attempt at judicial decorum
"Wnl you please explain this" the counsel TOT INC
plaintiff went ON. and then hc5itatcd.
"CaI II ccstatc" Mr. EyartS SAIL bllndly and then
the counsel for the plaintiff switched his attention on TO
another line OF inquiry.
"Wnl Won eyplaln the effect Of these currents upon
human life ," was the next attack.
.,Idaresay" said the witness THAT II man were 10
place himself IN the current death would result
"Dfd you ever know Of such a rc-ultT
Not ~ ms own kuow!clsr."
..Did YOU ever know Of anyboly's testing itr
NO"
opII Won ever try it on y,ur.et" said the counsel
growing irate
MI Fyart. turning the counsel Perhaps the ''r'u
counsel would Ike {" ny " on himself ,,
Nj CIdttcudcu-Oh. 40. / would rather the learned
counsel on the other SIDE would make ~" experiment
An c,-t9tc experiment e. iHuuurtd hr. l;'1II' t"i
la, ypI Possibly Dis II IuUr NOIM De hluu
,uoyrb ~ make 'hr experiment for y0u.'
Tnr witness then stated, IN r"piy To questions that me
light wires with fr, alarm wires ar others ""uh "lr
from the crossing of such wiz, their ch"hn4' !h W.
consequent ahrl, Of the msatng material, when an
ioni' + rIii- and T. f. Meyer real estate dealers,
hentc,thod hir property va' not damaged by the pres
I cuar oi ihr poles aId wires.
said Mr. CmijrIlcn to M Meyer: "r n,n you don't
There M, ~ many obatIur'iru- In the streets, -aid
the win, g. fHlt We ore h.'' Z" fi''u l-' tI' -
,"i' ~. ',,' ic ~ M i.,11r,e,rrf M1u, ordinary
uorplr must suffer uud.r -nch 'lrt'j ,l4n'"'.'
WI, il,. ~ ~ ,siy Which ,ynrM hr % nul,,urr IN
street p,.ug ilu.l upward. When jhc number h'c
..6b. ven II Won ar. Ia Gag, me IN with wire go
stop" exclaimed Ga" counsel " answer my qH''
The witness Thought that there was limit. He could
not exactly t, what number should make %" extreme.
MR. EDISON OK THE STAND
Thomas 4. Edison tc7tilcd that The Edison Company
operaieI ,gcnty-six miles Of underground wire in I'd"
lower part II the city. supplying Indoor nsaL II vas
successful system The are lght current ""ild wander
| more easily Than The Inciude.ccuL
Nj Fgarts her. ni"rpo,od th' objection tht the Com
mon C,urciI had u-tinri lho ifu.h Company in i meth
ol Of hsiEiue. ny authorizing rms vas "'rtr,rL ,
NJ Ei.a held h. hand carefully to hi cor. lac l.
. exceedingly drG, and th'h answered cautiously ~
ria. fora smiled 20 Gid tho counsel far the DC
frnFun. Tn arc c,rrut, II mu-ulI'rl, viii BE- dHI-
ccrpua Mr. Idi-ou continued. ii supplying Thirty EWp.
Pole. ,yir- said. not Tor t'lit'
/ lleitug The underground 'yst0u wa pra"tlcahl" no
june ISL. the time wnrn trr suit vas bc-Un II "n
cnel..ut wirr vcrc b1ok IA, tie current would
simply c-u-r. II another Wire, uncrr
! such circumstances, shall cross the ah'rht
wire ~ well - the ehrrunt wire near the dNu-
umo the wire would %, burned, aud pussihy The lamp
the nachlrIy IN tue Office would suffer most redhot
vie N0uI prubihl, drop pl-scry and u would bc
pretty had" To- him Tie white u-l,aor used IN Tie
Idusn Cyupanys wire, Dir. Edison stated, would fo''
Will. Tho dark one would %, made hit, ~ tie elements.
Iz.rct n suIt0r had been put into practice. There
Wa uo tciical difficulty IN operating the axe system
I UrId' r.-IJJ.id
on the cross examination. which conducted hy Mr
Iy,ut-. Mr. Lui-ou sad that prfHuu could btcum" IN
iicstcd m tie electric list wires Dos putting his hands
ou tAr two carrying Uppc-t" currents near 10" station
they WEI" not properly be uLicd or 10y placing "ir mana
one wire and forming q nrund connection with the
/ ,u,cl.inr Ur the other insulated wirc.
NJ Eyus then questioned iho inventor a. 10 WIZ lhcr
pgIrOu cU1ii occur 10 VIII ID The person
I'D at ypluLtIIl, ruuiuDutr. Mr. Ld-n, 3'tcr pnH-
Gc.ny with his head iu hIs hands responded ta TINS
might happen where stream of water strongly CHARGED
win electricity iDil upon Individual lie could think
/ OF Ip other contingency
do you know dsrd Mr. Eyurts. Of any couditi 1n
where "a stream ui water highly charged with electricity
has descended upon the head 81 pr'"n passing M the
| strcCt-l"
/ 80 si.," was the quiet reply.
T.. u. johnson. Nic-pu-trnt OF The Brush Company,
being recalled, stated that the underground system ~
tlrc'H" lightng In ln London and Paris, and
that the ady,abily Of the OF the underground or
Coz. twice ts mucn 10 rulatr underground wire
aerial one tLg expense OF laying the UNDER ground
would 10, greater, but The wire would last longer
TGs c0urludcd the testimony. III" arguments will be
| mad, ola Friday oi next week.