Daily Republican., 1883-11-12
ELECTRIC WIRES.
TIE DANGEB1 AND InCONvEAI
ENCE OF THE P1EsENT
STATEN.

ENCE OF THE PRKsKNT
STATEN.
----~S>--
Tho multiplicity Of electric wires, an
the constant erection of new and large
poles, is attracting attention In oil part
Of the country. In New York an
Philadelphia, where many Of the street
and business places are supplied wit
electric lights, and almost every bust
ness house has telephonic, and many o
them telegraphic communication, tn
consequent network Of wires overhea,
have become 10 numerous that legisla
tion has been Invoked for the relief Ol
the people.
In New York law has been enacted
requiring all electric wires In the cit,
10 he laid underground on and after thl
beginning OF 1895. An ordinance hav
ing the same end in view was passet
some time ago by the City Councils o
Philadelphia, aud several of the news
papers of the last named city urged th'
Legislature, while 1t was In regular
session, to add TO the force Of the Ordi
nance by the passage OF an act COMPEL
ing all electric companies to remove
their wires from overhead.
The advocates of the underground
system claim that IN the further multi
plcation Of the wires overhead is In.
tolerable, the reform is inevitable and
only question of time. The problem
has been solved in Europe, and 1t seems
that sound policy, combined with a
due regard for the lives Of the people
and the preservation Of property,
demands that 1t should be adopted In
America, ut least In the large cities.
There are many reasons urged In favor
of the adoption Of some plan whereby
the wires shall be placed underground,
foremost among which Is the fact of the
accidents liable to happen at any time
while they remain in their present posi-
ZION. It's stated that the electric light
wires are especially dangerous, and "A
constant menace TO the lives Of those
who walk beneath them hat they are
liable 10 kill with the certainty and sud-
denness of lightning the fireman, who,
in the discharge Of his duty, directs
stream of water across them, and II IL
claimed that their destructive powers
extends to the theatre, place Of business,
or dwelling, where they are introduced.
A short time since An electric wire
in New York SWING down until it al
most touched lamp post, and police
ofiicer who happened TO be in the vicinl.
ty said there were shoots of flame a
foot long, which darted ia every di-
rcc'ion. 1t i, also said that during the
pas summer the foliage of trees have
been burned where the electric light
wrs came In contact with them. No
l"ss than three fires, one of which de.
s'roysd large mill, have occurred in
Philadelphia since the introduction of
elscrrc lights.
A singular accident occurred to Il
gentleman at the Pari, electrical exhi. |
bitiOn. He vas leaning over railing, |
aud his dangling gold watch chain
made a connection between . conducting |
wires, with the result of heating 1t red
hot, and setting fire to his clothing The
great danger Of fire from these wires
mas been recognized by the Boston
Insurance companies, who have made
i a subject of exhaustive investi CATION,
aud adopted stringent regulations In
reference to this method Of lighting.
The danger to life Is even greater than
that to property, and the number of &C.
ridents which have already happened,
demands that some protective measures
beyond those now IN uss, should be
adopted. About one year ago, work
man in an iron mill at Pittsburg, was
Instantly killed by simply allowing .
lighted lamp, that he held in bis hand,
70 come In contact with an electric light
wire. In less than month afterwards,
two more fatal accidents from similar
causes happened In other places, anu
since then have been multiplied by
1Ozens.
1t is,however, but Just to say that the
greatest danger is to be apprehended
from what are known as the arc light
wires, from the fact that the necessity
exists that they shall be connected by
a" N"rirs' method, that is the current
from The dynamo must pats through ;
eari. lamp consecutively, 80 that what
eyer pressure Is required by single
Iadp must practically be multiplied by
NE number of lamps in the circuit.
The mass OF telegraph aud telephone
vines around the Newhall House at
Milwaukee when it was burned some
I'm" ago seems 10 have been one Of the
principal causes OF the terrible loss Of
.lir, besils seriously interfering with
ID, iirerien, especially IN the usa of
.adders, whereby many lives might
nave been saved. The same difficulty ,
has been experienced in other cities, and
viii no doubt he In this city, in
The event of q large fire breaking out on
So'rc Of the streets along which the
wires are stretched in such great NUM-
i"rs These facts, combined with the
laIgers OF the electric light wires. and ,
'h" ugly, unsightliness Of the immense :
l"'ts now in use. imperatively demand ,
tnat some means shall be adopted whore. .
Hyal' electric wires shall be placed un- :
d-rgrolnd.