Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-17
ELECTRIC EXECUTIONS.
Testing the Wheatstono Bridge At the
Edison Laboratory.
New York Tines.l

Thomas A. Edison's finely equipped labo-
raf0rv az Orange, n j., was visited yester-
dav morning bv Referee Tracy c. Becker
and q party of gentlemen interested IN the
electric-cxccution law case, now being
heard before Mr. Becker. Among the party
were Neutrality-suspicious. Poste, liar,
old r. Brown. Charles >. Hatch, counsel
for the Buffalo murderer. kemmler, upon
whom, if the law is held TO be constitu-
fioual. the electrical death apparatus Will
first be tried; Charles Writ, of the Edison
Electric-Light Company, and several
others.
The visitors were driven TO the laboratory
from the Orange station and were put IN
charge of Dr. ulzc-Bergcr. VINO showed
them all over the building and explained
the mysteries of some of the machines IN
it, They went up INTO the monograph
room and heard cOrnet solo played by one
of the instruments. and then they went
down into one of the experimental rooms,
where a NheatstOne bridge had been pre-
parrd for their use. SO much had been
said about this instrument by the witnesses
already heard that Mr. Becker desired to
see one in actual operation.
Mr.. Writ was the first victim. lie dipped
his hands into Jars containing suiphate OF
zinc. the liquid being connected with the
instrument 10y the usual wires. and his re-
NlNt0Uff WIS DiOIlHAlN Hifh0hi'h az Af'iV
ohms. Mr.. Hatch then tried the experiment.
When the test WAS first applied his resist
ance was 1860 Ohms. and tests made at
other times made it / 800 and l $3.50 Ohms.
Other people were then expermented
upon m this manner and then Mr. Hatch
sat down. took of one shoe, and placed
his bare foot upon "a felt-covcred elcctrode
saturated with sulphate OF zinc. MT.
Brown applied another electrOde TO the
4 al l..
sistance thus measured was $3.50 ohms, or
over 900 ohms greater than It had been
when lust the hands had been placed on
the electrode. With both feet placed on
the electrOde Mr.. Hatch's resistance was
$40 ohms.
A reporter. whose resistance with his
hands exposed 10 contact was $500 Ohms,
tried the head and feet experiment, ana
his resistance at first was 1917 ohms. A
sponge, however. saturated with sulphate
of zinc was used in his case. instead OF the
belt placed upon the head, and better con-
tact was thus afforded, diminishing the
amount of resistance. Within fifteen Sc
conds after the first measurement had been
made in this case the resistance had
dropped to G,297 and then To $3.50 ohms.
The clectrO-mOtivc force used IN all these
experiments Wa four volts. generated from
four La Clnchc cells.
W. Bourke Cochran, who is opposing
the carrying into effect of the new law.
was not present. but after the party had
arrived one of his assistants, Mr.. hennl-
son, came in. accompanied bya Young man
whom nobody knew. After Il little while,
however. this young man was recognized
as one of the employees of the Nestlng-
house Electric-Light Company, and at
once be was denounced by Mr.
Brown. He had not been invited to
come. and was considered 10 have over
stepped the bounds of courtesy in entering
the establishment of a rival. where expert
ments might be going ON. The matter was
finally arranged 10y Mr.. Becker, who said
he thought that as the State was repre-
scented there the other side might also
have an electrical expert present at the cN-
periments they proposed to make with the
Wheatstone bridge, provided, Of course,
the Edison people did not object. The
Edison people aid not object, and eve
rvbodv saw the experiments.