The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1889-12-14
DANGER IN THE ELECrRIO WIRES.
IN. O. Pieayune.l

! cities puDllc attention has again beeu
drawn to the condition of the electric
wires by several accidents that have
happened during the past week or ten
days. The danger lurking in the wires
has been frequently demonstrated by
most terrible accidents within the past
year and as consequence measures to
protect the public from the continually
increasing and always present danger
have been engaging the serious atten-
tion of the authorities at many points.
In New York but few days age q
young man, clerk in retail store,
was instantly killed while carrying in
showcase from the sidewalk. The
victim in this case did not directly con-
meet with the electric current, but it
was communicated to him by the top
of the metal-ribbed showcase coming
in contact with an electric lamp used
to illuminate the sidewalk. So singu-
lar a death has naturally aroused con-
siderable feeling among the people of
the metropolis, and has revived the
agitation to have all wires placed under
ground.
In Cleveland, Ohio, series of acci-
dents has aroused such a feeling of
apprehension among the people that
the authorities have ordered the re-
moval Of all wires, and in accordance
with that mandate the poles and wires
have been cut down. The recent disas-
trous fire in Boston is attributed d.
rectly to defective electric light wire.
All these occurrences have naturally
given risc to considerable uneasiness on
the subject of electric wires, and the
more the matter Is discussed the more
apparent 1t becomes that 1t is a very
serious problim to grapple with. The
progress of the age forbids the aban-
donment of electricity for Illuminating
purposes, but the manifest dangers at
tending its use urgently call for the
adoption of such scientific precautions
as will reduce the peril to minimum.
This Of course can only be arrived at
by a rigid investigation Of the whole
subject by experts who can be relied
upon to give an impartial decision in
the premises. Neglect on the part of
the proper authorities to take in hand
SO important matter opens up tho
possibility of radical measures by the
people themselves, when the occur
renee of fatal accidents becomes so fire.
quent that some extraordinary remedy
Is found necessary to cure the evil.
Procrastination of that character can
only result in the needless destruction
ofproperty, as an excited populace can
not be expected to discriminate intelli-
gently between dangerous aud non-
dangerous wires.
The worst feature of the danger from
electric wires is the fact that accidents
are not to be apprehended only from
direct contact with the wires carrying
the deadly currents, but the dropping
of one of these wires across a telephone
wire or against lamp post or even as
in the case of the latest New York ac-
cident against showcase may 81 di-
vert the current as to carry danger into
the most unlocked for places. Tho
electric current Is thus rendered an in
sidlous and hidden foe against which It
is utterly impossible to adopt precau-
tions while the present system of
stringing wires through the streets is
tolerated.
Although the latest New York acci-
dent was startling incident II was
just such case, however, as has been
often predicted as likely to happen. On
the occasion of previous accident In
New York when lineman was killed
while at work In the network of wires,
a we'll known electrical expert of that
city was reported to have said:
"You may touch a wire with your
finger, and, though you be on the tenth
floor of a building, you may be killed
instantly, provided that, by moisture
or otherwise, the floor becomes a con-
ductor. The wire you touch may be
simply holding up a picture, and yet,
under these conditions, In connection
with an iron rafter or hook touching
some hidden plate, 1t may convey q
fatal current. A man ringing a door
!, ! all or leaning up against lamp post
o.. ".f.be struck dead any instant. II
mlghe o,om be electric wires that may
Is not alone sbasn'here of In another
MI you. Somew for gvav, the wind
s.a s.reet, perhaps miles an. corn 92ains'
sora n"s o'own an arc light wireSstant D
s0me s conductor. and rho