New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-25
CLOSING THE HEARING.
MORE TESTIMONY ON ELECTRICITY,
MEN WHO THINK AN ALTERNATING CURRENT
CAN sn MADE FATAL-sToRY OF MAN
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

CAN RF MADE FATAL-STORY OF MAN
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
The hearing of the Kemmler reference case VIII
probably end in this city to-day, and beginning next
TUESDAY additional evidence will be taken in Buffalo.
The testimony to-day will probably be only In regard
10 some measurements made to determine the electi-
cal resistance of the employees at the Edison Labora-
tory at Orange, n. J. A number OF tests were made
last Saturday, and others were made yesterday to
Ind out II the resistance Of the same persons did
not vary from day TO day.
The testimony yesterday, In contrast with that OF
The day before, when Thomas a. Edison took inc
stand was of no great interest or importance. The
Hrst witness was DIR. Cyrus Edison, physician to the
Insrd OF Health and president of the Board of Phar
macy who assisted at some Of the tests on animals
made by Harold p Brown, at Columbia College. All
he animals had been killed by the shock, FOR the
witness had examined them carefully. He had dis
,ccted one Of them and found all its organs ana
nerves in a normal state, except that the heart haa
xtopped In contraction There was nothing TO snow
how death had been caused, but the witness believer
that IL was duo a paralysis of the nerve centres
He was convinced that a current could be generated
which If scientifically applied would kill men In
simultaneously and painlessly. He thought that an
alternating current OF from 600 10 1000 volts ana
from one fourth to onc-han an ampere would 40 'ho
work without doubt 49,
But Is not the effect of current on human ITO
entirely experlmentalln asked Mr.. Cochran.
"No,s replied the witness. g" IT has been Demon
strated that current properly applied will XIII one
Of the lower animals, and from this we redsoh '"O
the same would be true in the case Of a man.
DR. Randolph A. witthaus professor OF Physics anu
Chemistry In the University of the City OF New io,A
and also of the University of Vermont next TOOK inc
stand and gave his reasons for believing that d"
alternating current properly applied would not purh
the criminal in such technical terms thar Mr NooAiS"
did not cross-examine him. An electric current nv
witness explained, caused partial decOmposluon VI
the fluids Of the body drawing the alkaline suDsan'
10 one pole and the acids to the other ms "ouiu
cause burning If continuous current were uso'' ou'
an an alternating current the positive pole De0ano
the negative and vice versa, with such rapdiV h"'
this beapIng up Of the alkalles and ACIDS oIu no'
occur. o,.
The most important evidence given by INC h'As
witness schuyler S. Wheeler, the eiect"oai 49,
of the Board of Electrical Control, was IN relauon
90 ,ha nrobabc amount of current passing through
mon who receive accidental shocks from dynamos'
The witness said that where two paths OF olhoi."
resistances were offered TO a current, IL was uI'iu
inyersely in proportion TO the resistance oi "o wv
routes The conductlvty Of the circuit III oiuln'i'
electric lighting was about four times as great d.
that of man whose contact was good, consequently
he uouId receive only onefourth of the full iorco
of the current. When the contact was inrerlcV' INC
proportion that passed through the hlah wa P'
portionatey less. Mr.. Wheeler thought lo'" -,
eirumstan that the dOS Dasn, "hiOn ""' w
killed by shock and then came 10 ii
again. could have received only small portion VI
the current 1t was only where the contact was IN
perfect the witness continued, that burns resui'ou
Mr. Wheeler then told of some OF Mr. Brown eA
perments at Columbia College. In one case l'loo
volts from a continuous current had only inhlcteu
horrible agonies on dog, and then "Oo-Voi1 0on
tinuous current was sent through 1t, ana deatn to
emitted at once Mr. Cochran here led the witness
into the mazes of an exceedingly abstruse dscuSso
ahout the difference between an exact ana an eAeIl-
mental science between demonstration speculauon'
and knowledge and belief, which seemed 10 Doro
every one but Mr.. Cochran; ,.os,.oa ~, M
The last witness called was introduced Dy Mr.
Cochran He was a who had been struck by
lightning. His was Laverda Adams ana ne
is a Shoemaker. living at Pound Ridge, Nestchester
County On April TO- while he and his fanny Tepg
ar SINNER lightning struck the house, ana hlle9
MIR Adams's uncle and daughter. injurng him ana
his wife also The witness received burns on ms
hack arms and legs, and partially parayzed 1or
three days II was three weeks before he recovered
from the effects of the shock sufficiently to leave his
he'd The recital listened to with interest Dy
all as his escape from death was certainly "ohoer
tul - todav