The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1884-02-28
DANGER FROM ELECTRIC LIGHT.
The Electric Current Heating Wire
to White Heat Death in the I'm
seen Bolt.
cincinnati Commercial Gazette.1


Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
Beware of the electric light wire as you
would OF the jobberwock. One is just as
mysteriously terrible as the other. John"
the janitor and champion wrestler OF the
gymnasium, got an electric scare the other
day that he has not yet recovered from IL
was during the rainy spell. In the midst OF
one Of the heaviest showers he was seized
with establishment on seeing that the eiectric
light wire running from Boutilier's roof at
the rear into the gymnasium was on fire, as
he expressed it, A telephone message for
help was at once sent TO the Office OF the
Brush Electric Light company, and in the
meantime John undertook to drown out the
fire. He got on the roof, and standing
three feet from the wire, when
was in white heat, he ladled
cup of water from pail and threw
it upon the radiant metal There was
"sizz," and John AYERS that some Of the
water splashed on his arm, sending shock
through him that would have laid out any
less athletic individual He then moved
three feet farther back and from there
played fireman. There really appeared i'm
minent danger of the roof catching fire, as
the wire, near where it was heated, passed
through the wooden frame of a skylight
When the expert from the Brush company
arrived, he donned pair of rubber gloves
and standing on dry board he cut the wire
in two.
The electric light people affect to think
lite # such an occurrence, but several
scientific people, to whose attention it has
been brought, say that it is but warning of
a terrible accident Tat will one day happen.
The workmen who came to the relief Of John
at the gymnasium say that the wire got
heated because of .triking against a piece OF
tin, thus forming ground" He admits
that had the wood been wet-thus making
good conductor-a fire would probably have
occurred. The officials of the Brush Electric
Light company claim that they cover their
wires with the best insulating material
known, but outside electricians say that the
insulation is exceedingly poor and that ~,
least rain affects it. T.,
Such an enormous Be- can
generate the Br 'ONil
it throu~ NE human body meano rect,
instantly as by heavens bolt 1t will be
membered that two weeks ago the superin-
tendent of the company at Dayton-who, of
course, was thoroughly posted as to the terri
BILE danger-was killed as by flash in taking
hold of a wire He was fixing lamp, and
to save it from falling he thoughtlessiy
grabbed the wire 1t had been raining, and
the current passed right through him.
The firemen are more afraid of the electric
light wires than they are Of fire itself. so
far the accidents that have happened in this
line in Cincinnati, while they have been
startling have not been fatal. 1t has often
happened that an electric light wire in cross
ing a telephone wire has formed a connection
in wet weather, resulting in melting the
machinery Of either the instrument at the
subscribers or at the exchange-sometimes
both. An accident of this kind happened a
few days ago on Race street. causing the sub
scriber of the telephone to call out the hre
department What would have happened
had that current which was sufficient to
melt brass, got inside mans ear
Frequently the attention OF passers-by Is
attracted to a spark emitted from one of the
electric light wires running across Fifth and
Nin<streetS