The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-12
THE ELECTRIC WIRES.

to cut down the poles, and this was being
done when an order from one of the courts
stopped the business. 1t seems that it is
Vain to look for relief from legislation and
the executive authority altogether, even
when they are disposed to compel the en-
forcement of the subway system, and so
the loss of life and dishgurment of the
streets goes on as usual, and always will
unless there should be reaction sooner or
later .
THOMAS EDISON is supposed to know
something of the nature of voltaic currents,
and in November's North American he dis
cusses the whole subject in an able and
earnest manner, having particular reference
to the dangers incident from electric light
ing, etc. 1t will or ought to be remem-
bered that it was to the evidence given by
the Wizard of Menlo Park more than to
that of any other man or perhaps all others
combined that the "electrocution" law of
New York state was decided to be consti-
tutional by the court before which it was
brought, that of the county in which the
man who was sentenced to suffer such
penalty-KEEMLER-wa tried and con-
demned. Mr.. EDIsoN-or perhaps we ought
to say Count EDIsoS-stated by reason of
positive knowledge upon the subject that
an alternating current of l 1000 volts would
kill any man, no matter what his natural
resistance, and that there would be no
cruelty in the performance, as death would
be instantaneous. The writer divides the
currents for electric lighting into four
classes First, the low tension, continuous
current with pressure not exceeding 200
volts, such as is in use for the incandescent
lighting; second, the high tension contin-
uous current, with a pressure of 1000
volts and over third, the high-tension semi
continuous current with a pressure like
No. .; fourth, the alternating current with
a pressure much greater, being from 1000
to 3, 900 volts and over.
He states that the first is harmless and
can pass through the human body without
uncomfortable sensations. The second is
dangerous to life. The third frequently
produces paralysis or death by momentary
contact The fourth is fatal in all cases of
contact. That current passing through a
human body means instantaneous death.
Mr.. EDISON states that there is record of
one hundred deaths in support of his prop
osition. The accidents occurring in New
York are greater, because there are
greater number of wires. The percentage
of deaths in other cities will reach that of
New York when the number of electric
wires strung is equally great.
1t is in contemplation of the foregoing
that Mr. Edison comes to the enlighten-
ment of the public and opposes the popu-
lar cry of Let the wires go underground"
He says that by this method the danger
will not be diminished, but will be in
creased. There is no known insulation
which will confne these high-tension cur
rents for more than limited period, and
when they are placed beneath the ground,
with the present system of conduits, the
result will be series of earth-contacts, the
fusion of the wires, and the formation of
powerful electric arcs, which will extend
to other metallic conductors in the same
conduit, and the whole mass of wires made
to receive this dangerous current and con-
vey It into houses, offices, stores, etc"
The writer maintains that the dangers are
uOL COuuuCu " GLC h11SS w HILL GOlNCS IHC
currents, but other wires
harmless currents are liable to be
rendered deadly. A single wire carrying
a current at high pressure in a subway
will be q constant menace, and even
though the wires are placed in separate
tubes in the same conduit with other tubes,
the risk is not diminished.
rpt,ie NOV no raoo,.dad % on ,,1+,.o
fic view of the case. 1t may, in fact be
looked upon as altogether scientific with
but trifing if any consideration of the
practical We all know what nuisance
the poles and wires are so long as they re
main an actual and a physical fact, but
what they would do and be if buried we
have no other evidence than that Of the
great expert, and he merely gives it as his
opinion, which he Celebrates to some ex-
tent as follows.
The public may rest absolutely assured that
safety will not be assured by burying these
wires The condensation of moisture, the in
gress of water, the dissolving influence of coal,
gas and aireXidation upon the various insulat
ing compounds will result only in the transfer of
deaths 10 manholes, houses, stores and offices,
through the agency of the telephone, the low
pressure systems and the apparatus of the high
tension current itself. l have no intention, and
l am sure none will accuse me, OF being an
alarmist. When the possibilities of the future
are viewed in the light of recent developments,
it must be apparent to every one that the time
has come when those in authority should adopt
proper and adequate measures for the protec
ton of life and property, and my familiarity
with the subject enables me to see very clearly
the only true remedy which can be applied
namely, the regulation OF electrical pressures
Once these pressures are reduced to a point
which is harmless, the public may retire in
and leave electricians to discuss the
merits and dement's OF various methods Of in
sulating, the defects of which will only con-
Germ those interested in the commerce OF cleo
tricity.
The fact that MIR. EDISON fails to give US
any suggestions as to what we ought to do,
in such an emergency - that he simply
gives US to understand that the subways
would not only not be an improvement
but would actually enhance the danger,
and stops at that-will cause great many,
and they the majority because the more
practical, to take no stock in his deduc-
tons. He suggests that when the authori-
ties require electrical pressures to be kept
within the limits of safety, and when there
is an efficient corps of inspectors, as in the
case of boilers, to see that the rules adopted
are carried out, the security which the
public demand will be attained; but until
then nothing better can be looked for than
a multiplication of the casualties of the past
few months.
This involves some things which are not
practical, especially in commu-
mites where 1.-The authorities are unable by
reason of limited population and wealth