Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-24


and they sent notice to the railways to do il.
From that day to this it has not been done, and
stones larger than you can see in excavated
Pompeii of 8, 500 years ago are now in the road
bed between the tracks there at those crossings
in that street. standing just as they did year
ago when made the humble and piteous APP
peal to the Commissioners"
THE CORPORATIONS THE MASTERS OF THE srruA-
'Having had that experience and there being
at Dupont circle similar condition, though
not nearly SO bad, in getting over the railway
tracks there. gave up the Commissioners en-
tirely and addressed an humble and piteous
and respectful petition to the masters, the rail-
way company, without going to the Commits
sioners at all. and appealed to them as an act
of grace to everybody who travelled along there
to have that thing put in order. got an i'm
mediate gracious response that they would do
it right away, and within two weeks it was
done. So the way for any citizen of the Dis
trict or resident here to get anything done in
ameliorating these crossings is to apply to the
masters of the situation, the corporations
themselves
ENGLISH TRAMwAYS NO OBSTRUCTION TO CAR
RAGE TRAVEL.
Mr.. Frye-I should like to ask the Senators
who are familiar with the horse-railroads in
the city of Washington one question. 1 have
never been able to understand why the United
States and the cities in the United States allow
their streets to be absolutely destroyed by
these horse-railroads. One day in Liverpool
hired horse and carriage to take a ride, and
was riding through several streets where there
were horse-railroads, or tramways, as they call
them. / avoided them the same as would
here, but accidentally got on the track and
afterward had no occasion at all to avoid the
railroad tracks. No one riding would have
noticed that there was such a thing as a rail-
road track there. There was not the slightest
disturbance to the carriage, and you could ride
over 1t IN any direction. You could ride over
1t lengthwise, and it would not disturb the car
riage in the slightest degree. got out of the
carriage and examined the rail, and I found
that 1t was very simple continuance. Instead
of I rail. such as we have here almost every
where, it was simple U-rail, the fanges of the
rail coming just level with the pavement, and
the slot of the U not being large enough to
admit of an ordinary carriage wheel.
Mr.. Sherman-There are some of those rails
here in this city, right in front of the Presi-
dents house.
Mr.. Frye-why do we not make every rail-
road III this city have U-raiR
THE NEW YORK AVENUE RAIL.
MIR. Sherman-I should be glad to go farther
when we do that, and go to the extent of
having new motive power. The railroad upon
New York avenue has most beautiful rail.
You can go over it without disturbing your
carriage in the slightest degree, riding right
over it, and it is concreted between. Your car
rlage can go anywhere. astride the rail, or
across the rail, diagonally or in any other way.
MIR. Frye-Since my return I have never
been able to understand why so many cities in
the United States allow their streets to be sacri-
feed in that way
Mr.. Sherman-Nobody else understands it;
but we do not require them to adopt this new
rail. A new rail is not provided for by this
amendment. What we ought to require is a
hat 10 oft nr fha 10
the electric motive power. In my judgment
the electric motive power is now far in advance
of any other.
Mr.. Teller-I should like to ask the Senator
from Ohio if he thinks that the New York ave-
nue. street-car line is a model with their columns
In the middle of the street and
THEIR DEATH-DEALING WIRES
hanging over the street ON both sides?
Mr.. Sherman-I am glad the Senator asks me
if think that is a model railroad. 1t has wires
above, but there is no unsightly aspect about
them; straight, open way with the columns
200 feet apart. At night Lit with brilliant cleo
trio light. it is rather beautiful than otherwise.
The notwithstanding wires" would not kill cat,
l imagine. The evidence is conclusive that the
wires carrying electricity sufficient to light are
very dangerous, but that the power, according
to the testimony of experts. required for
moving these cars is not sufficient to cause
death.
Mr. Harris.-If the Senator will allow me-
will state that if the whole power a dynamo
machine can generate for propelling the cars
to which the Senator refers was put upon the
wire he would experience only slight shock
If he should come in contact with it.
After further debate Mr.. Dawes said: 81 wish
to state that new discoveries are all the time
being made not only as to the method of
applying electricity, but as to the effect of it.
and that recently it has been discovered that
what is perfectly harmless shock to one indi-
vidual is fatal to another, and that which is
perfectly harmless to one individual at one
time is fatal to that individual at another time
No one as yet has been able to say when any
particular individual is safe who comes in con-
tact with these electric wires. Human life is
at the mercy of conditions if these wires are
within contact. Within few days the dress of
lady in a parlor lighted by electricity, upon
which she had some metal buttons or orna-
ments, coming in contact with the wire, was
set on fire."
Mr.. Hoar-''That was electricity for
lighting"
/ WHEN ARE WE SAFE?
Mr.. Dawes-I know it was electricity for
lighting. Whether these electric wires be for
lighting, or for power, or for any other pur-
pose, we have not yet been able to understand
when we are safe and when we are in peril ex-
cept when we know they are beyond our reach
We are not safe whether they are used for one
purpose or another.
Mr.. Chandler am glad to learn from the
Senator from Tennessee Mr.. Harris) and from
the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Sherman) and the
Senator from Massachusetts (AIr. Hoar) that
electricity passing through these wires is SAFE
/ am glad to learn that we are getting over the
dangers. l do not understand how it can be-
because certainly there have been many fatal
accidents reported. Every day we see that
some workman has been instantly killed by
contact with these wires. But now it seems
that there is no danger. am glad of it.
Mr.. Harris-If the senator will allow me,
speaking from the standpoint of such informa-
ton as have been able to obtain by having a
lot of experts before a committee to which
chance to belong, charged with the duty by the
Senate of investigating and getting such infor-
nation as we could obtain upon this question:
it depends upon the energy and amount of the
current, no matter what wire the electricity is
conducted by.
Mr.. Edmunds-It depends somewhat on the
nature of the current, because there are two
different natures.
Mr.. Harris-Yes.
MIR. Chandler-The Senator from Massachu-
sets (Mr. Dawes says it also depends some-
what on the person.
Mr.. Harris-I think the Senator from Massa-
chusetts is somewhat if not entirely mistaken
in that declaration. Different nervous organ
ism will be affected differently by electricity:
1 do not know to what extent. But the infor-
nation the committee derived from that inves-
tigation amounts to something like this No