New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-11
rIrru RACE-sELLING.
SAFETY From THE FIRES.
HOW ELECTRICIANS WOULD, SECURE 1T
MIR. JOHNSON WANTS Low PEEssURE-MR. hiNE
GIVES HIS VIEWS.

GIVES HIS VIEWS.
A manager Of Fort Wayne electric light company
told the coroners jury which was investigating nemai
Murray's death, that he had been six years IN inc
business and didn't know half as much ABOUT inc
tricks ard eccentrcities Of electricity as he thought
he did when he had been at II only six months. ~
is no wonder, therefore. that the coroner anu nus
iurors none of whom experts, found the SUBJECT
perpIexing said electrician speaking OF the ma'cr
"They have freed the electrical coon. but they hno"
nothing of the nature and habits OF the vaImnt anu
about all they do is to Keep up tremendous
barking around the tree, until people VINO nave me
necessary knowledge organize expedition to bring
the coon down.
With full appreciation Of his own ignorance on
tbe subject reporter of The Tribune called on E. H.
Johnson, the president Of the Edison Electric Light
Company 10 get his opinion Of what should be done
10 render the wires harmless. The Edison people,
let It be observed, have never killed anybody with
their wires and are therefore not the defensive
Let me ask you a question: said Mr. Johnson,
when the reporter had explained his mission Would
you allow to be introduced into your house an cleo
rcal current of such strength that touching tho wire
Will tho hand under certain conditions. would pro-
duce instant death ?"
Mo- replied the reporter empbatically
every wel,' said Mr.. Johnson. "apply the same
rule to the streets Prohibit the employment Of cleo
ricaI currents of such power that they will kill and
you attain perfect safety at And that is the
only thing know Of that wit; insure perfect safety.
There are two methods Of electrical lighting; one
high pressure current, and the other low
pressure current The high pressure current kills.
the low pressure current can't kill From this state
mont which can't be contradcted, anybody can draw
his conclusion as TO what should be done to insure
perfect security, II that is thought worth attaining
VIII not putting the high pressure wires under
ground render them harmlessi'
BY means. 1t is an open question whether
the danger to life would be materially lessened.
The current would still have ample oppor-
tunity to escape to houses and buildings
adjoining the wires. Certainly the danger
would be greater II the electric light companies did not
employ better Insulation than n: present. 1t should
be Understood that The dangers from electrical currents
are Of two knds--they may kill or they may cause
fires. current may be strong enough 10 ignite
wood and yet not be strong enough TO kill 10
iDjure pcrsIn who comes In contact with IT. Next
prohibiting the Of the current that kills would
favor putting the wires underground where they could
in contact with the loose wires that dang
ling overhead and the compulsory employment Of thc
best practical form of insulation. The question Is
largely matter of dollars and cents. the wires arc
badly insulated Why Because better insulation
would cost more money and by increasing the copper
in your wire you lessen the danger by decreasing the
force of the current But that OF more
expense.
powerful lights you do by the high pressure sys-
tem?7
Certainly you can, only 1t would cost moro money.
Because of the danger high pressure currents for
hidden in certain cities in Germany. In the Edison
system you take hold Of the positive and negative
ends of the wire through which flows a current that
supplies 10000 lights and you would not be harmed
This shows that perfect safety is attanable.'
Tho reporter next called at the Office Of the United
81 aes Electrical Lighting Company and there cOnvcrsed
with Henry Hine the OF the sales department.
This company manufactures both high pressure and
low pressure plants. Mr. Hine said that the abandon
ment Of the high pressure system would simply put
stop to lighting for whatever science might do II
had not yet devised method of getting lights with
a low tension current He thought that the dangers
from the electric light wires greatly exaggerated
When is remembered how recent s the application OF
electricity for Illuminating purposes. and how fre'
mendons IS the force represented, the thing IN be
amazed at IS that there has been little loss of life
In connection with II. Steam numbers its victims by
thousands. In Ncw-York electricity had killed four
people: J.. TN, .,.
pay. But II the wires put underground II was
Questionable whether that would afford greater Sc
curity 1t was much moro difficult TO secure good In
sulatfon underground than overground; earth was
| good conductor: air good insulator The present
Insulation defective better could be employed,
science had not yet devised thoroughly satisfactory
| system of Insulation Electric light companies would
not spend largo OF money TO better inSula
ton of their overhead wires until is definitely settled
whether thcy arc TO go underground stay overhead
II put underground IT would require the use Of an en-
iiiely system of Insulation and the present sub
ways could not do away altogether with overhead
wires they would stl be required for local distribution
as an extremely dfhcult one which should not be
settled hastily.