Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-05-23
ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
DEATtFRoM THE WIRES IN NEW YORK
CITY.
Examination Into the Death OF Thomas
lrrray-Thsy Should be Ueder
Ground-Plain Admissions.
New York Tri0une.l


Murra, the ineman IN the employ OF The
BrushGompauy who was Killed May 18th
at No GIG Broadway by aR electric-lIght
wire, fss continued yesterday. II is Coro-
ner Lyy's ayowed purpose to conduct the
inquiU after fashion that will cause a
yentiltion Of the whole subject Of the dan
gers o be spprehended from electric
light wires. and 90 arouse public
opinin that the eectric.light COM
panie' viii be compelled TO adopt measures
that Wi render their wires harmless, so far
at lest a. concerns the general public.
william hcGrsth, the superintendent OF the
Elizaleth.street station Of the Brush Light
Compby, first testified, aud said that he
didn't consider the handling OF electric
light vires dangerous II "proper precSu.
tionS were used He explained that by
pe'precsutioas be- meant chiefly the use
OF rubber gloves in damp weather.
"DD you not think" the Coroner asked,
"the wires are dangerous 10 person who
com'iin contact with them II he be unac-
quaiued with the eccentEicities OF electrici-
ty1"
"VIell, don't think they are exactly
danffous," replied the witness. III horse
should break his harness aud run away he
woult be dangerous, but horses generally
are I'd danger GUS"
Flr.lly the witness told the Jury that It
was d question OF insulation, sud how to
secue perfect aud durable insulaton was
an exceedingly dihlcut problem which had
rot yet been satisfactorily solved. lie
thou.ht It would be good thing to put the
wire under ground. "Our company" he
said, constructed me more than year ago
to pi.ce - many wires under ground a. pos
sislef
Q --Hov many have you placed under
grOuld! A.-NoRe yer. We baye Just got
read, 10 do It. we have only justdiscoyered
an Insulation that could be depended on,
and ven that Is something OF IN expert
ment
IE HAD INSTRUCTIONS A YEAR AGO.
Dr.Otto A. Moses, president Of the EX-
ecutl,e Committee OF the National Electric
Light Associations, was next called to The
standard said:
IL the present case, so far as can judge
from be testimony, the death OF the line
man vas due to his PERSONAL neglect" Then
Or. Moses went on 10 explain that he
tbOught IL would BE- possible to devise
Inethld Tor cutting of the current from
wire While one was handling IL, thereby
rend'fIng il harmless. In response to
question rs 10 his opinion OF tue best sale
EHnl I. III. HiD-fr huNWclFh
tiink it f. very difficult problem TO get
the aectTlc-ligbt wires IN proper condition
% llng rs there aru 80 macy Useless and
abnn toned wires hanging o1 the poles, be-
cause they are a constant source OF danger,
since no ose looks after them, and they are
all tie tims getting in the way. They fall
down, perhaps, on some elccirc-light wire
and /, a." tbort-cIrcuits H." and that may lead
10 thj short clrcultiDg" % some person
who touches the wire. Tse danger IL not
so much irem the clectric-ligbt wires as from
the useless wires thai come Ia cOatact with
them.
Q.-D0n't you think that az long IS the
wires ore in tleir present condition they are
soirce OF dangery Al ibink that
will he the ease until the pressure for the
use o. wires Is 20 great that every wire will
be M lied.
O.-What remedies would you suggest;
Al there we're no careie'sucs' in hand
ling the wires and 20 short circutlns from
abandoned wires there would he little danger
TO be appreciated from TIE eitciric-hght
wires. but those conditions sre hardly at
iainabe. Tho "dsal" wires should be got
rid Of. That might he accomplished by put
ting all TIE telegraph and telephone-Wires
under ground aud leaving The eiectric-Iight
WlleH NllEIf 10y Afs iiNft Y DtiA Nifti TT
no dsuger OF their being short.circuited -
by dead" telephone Or telegraph Nires.
souE REMEDIAL MEASURES.
The other method would b. to put the
eleciric.light wires under ground. Or
might suggest a third method Leave the
wires where they ere and th'n conduct the
current from tue line. IN such way that
when lt enters house it would not hurt
anybody. THIS Is possible by transforming
the power from one Of high potential power
TO one OF low potential power That could
be doHe. but rs all tae electric-light wires
Use another system it f. hardly likely TO he
adopted. / have no faith whatever in the
unaergriters' wire, because IL is Of poor
nstsriai.
This gave good opportunity 10 a shrewd
Juror, WhO remembered that Mr. NcGnth
Mad testified that the Brush Company used
the "usdetw1iter,' wire" which has a cost
ing CT Waite lead and is wrapped IN cotton.
He started q persistent inquiry TO ascertain
II There wsre not some better insul2tor that
the Brush Company could use. DR.. Moses
suggested that the company had 10 consider
the expense Of better insulator. That cvi-
IDENTITY put the Brush Company IN worse
pOsitiOn than before in the estimation oi the
pcststent Juror, who didn't think that the
expense ought 70 be weighed In the balance
against human lives. Dr.. Moses described
the system in vogue in London, where an
under ground cable was employed by Sic
mems. He explained also that the electric
light wires were placed under ground.
"Tbat would be the safest method" he
said. because there would then be no pos
sible opportunity Of causing death, because
the instant ground occurred il would
cause such a serious Leakage that the com
L.. Of