New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-02
THE KILLING OF HARRIS.
HOW THE CURRENT ENTERED HIS BODY
HE STOOD ON AN IRON PLATE AND THE SHOW
CASE IN HIS HAND TOUCHED AN
ELECTRIC LAMP.


None Of the three Brush electric lamps which hang
in front Of the dry goods Of Bernard Callan at
No. 675 Eighth-ave. lighted last evening. Inc
lower OF the three which undoubtedly caused the
death OF Henry Harris SATURDAY night, hangs about
eight feet above the sidewalk Beneath 1t IS an iron
door plate, whose outer edge comes just under the
lamp. The showcase which Harris was helping 10
carry into the store when he met his death Is fully
six feet high The possibility of its metal top coming
in contact with the bottom of the Brush Hight plainly
evident. That II did como in contact with It on sat
uray night and that a current established through
the metal framework, Harrs's body and the iron
doorplate, IS deemed TO be the explanation OF ne
mans death
1t IS said that after the fatal accident of Saturday
night the Brush lights in Eighth-ave. above Thirty
fourthst. were out for nearly two hours. The poce
at the West Fory-seventh-st station last night could
give no information regarding the latest electric
tragedy except that Messemer had taken charge
Of the and would make an investigation
Harris, who lived at No. $40 West Forty-hfth-st.
leaves wife and two Children His brother says they
are in straitened circumstances lie was twenty
two years Old and had been In Callans employ FOR SIX
years.
In the December number of The North American
Review" IS a paper by George Westinghouse lr en-
titled " A Reply to Mr. Edson.' The death OF Henry
Harris saturday night again abruptly turns thc
attention Of the public TO the deadly wire' and
TO notice some OF the points made by Mr. Westing-
house.
Speaking OF the classes Of current dangerous TO fc
he says that the reader who is unfamiliar with te
alternating system of distribution would naturahy
infer that in practice the same voltage was carreu
on the house wires the mains such, however, Is
never the case. In this complete disconnecuon OF
the street and house wirs,7 he says, is found the
reason of the positive safety both to lie ana 10
property enjoyed by the OF the alternating sys
tenn. 1t is one Of the great advantages of uis syS-
TEN that 10 admits Of the lof high voltagcs lor
the street mains and Of wholly separate ana lnde-
pendent currents with absolutely safe voltages, Tor
all wires within budIngs-a condition which Is IN
falliby secured aud maintained by converters UT
transformers. located in or near each building
One Of the beautiful features, he goes on IS ue
modification of the induced current In thlcK wlrc
With an equivalent amount of energy, when currents
are sent through a neighborng thin wire with almost
incOncevabe rapdity. a current OF fifty VOLTS Is
used in practice as it IS we'll established that
lamps Of this capacity far more durable ana give
better light with much greater economy than the
100 or 10 volt lamp. The two coils being absolutely
separated from each other by effective msuIauoh
through which the current in the primary wire can
not possibly penetrate, II follows that the ai'erhAhs
system has an enormous advantage over the direct
system in respect Of absolute safety to the consumer
II seems possible that the time IS not far distant when
tho regulations governing the distribution OF elecucly
will rfgidly prohibit direct electrical connection DO
tween the street wires and the local service Wires
inside houses thereby excluding from dwelng-ppcos
all the dangerous effects possible to ensue IRON acct
dental leakage In the underground system"
The writer gives statistics comparing tho deaths uy
electricity with those from other accidental causes
and he calls attention 10 the successful undersrrunu r
~sr,,ns in chicago Philadelphis, Rome, Berlin Milan
y, vi 'is shnp or oitjes The difference between the al
teratjne and tho continuous low-tenson system ls
synlaned While IN the alternating system the stIet.
ro5ns are absolutely disconnected and detached oIn
te bonse main the lOw-tension system necessltates
he Ineshinr of all underground mains and inc suppS
~ an cnorTnous electrical energy Commenting upon
Nr rdison', reference currents aOroah, the Wilt
oo,e, frou the British Electric Lighting act showing
ha- provisions arc made for dehnlte lnsuaIoh lor au
voltages. ,.,.,... 4, ..o o,e Tho most 10
no tcard Mr. Westinghouse adds. win theSOn..
tinuou, current whenever there IS occasion ~ Pt ~
ont number OF lights by the movement of sWlch II
NOT nfreoueny happens thai dazzling arc Qt oS ip
flame is ormed which ha, 70 be Iiown 1uu, % anv con-
aernating system II Is Impossible 10 FORM tSand IS
siderable arc even II the swimh conliOls ~, The
lights the rapid reversals OF me current h"'ie 1
cdect of preyenting its establishment" 49,. no
In closing he declares that purchasers nav t PrT
ferrcd the alternating system 70 the uIrccn ~. 49,
80 n one NAV Judge by those who purchase WA S 0s
consider the best the alternating system Is I4iU nb
which can Give 10 the public that when theG 81 s i
dcsir-a safe cheap. Efficient and uIIVeIsdlS aPPi40
bic system of incandescent electric hsh'lns