Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-21
MOOSE OR DYNAMO?
ExPERTslN ELECTRICITY TEsTlFYAT
THE KEMMLER REFERENCE.
The Efficacy of an Electric Current--A Dog
Which Survived a supposed
Fatal shock.
tNewYork World.l

tNew York World.l
Commissioner Daniel T.. Gibbons. Of the
Board OF Electrical Control, testified be
foro Referee Becker in the kemmiel
case Yesterday and struck several hare
blows at electrical execution, and the st
Bernard dog Dash that was apparently
killed by current in Eighth avenue last
week and revived was put in evidence with
rood effect. District-Att0rney Quimby
having returned TO his home IN But
falo. w. l.. Marcy, his assistant. TOOK
his place rs observation-disclosures
Posts associate and T.. ID. Kenneson was
added to w. Bourke Cockrans staff. FL
bridge 4. Gerry sent q telegram stating
that If desired he could be on hand to-mOr-
row for the purpose Of explaining his rea-
sons for advocating electrical executions
and he was notified that he would be eN-
pected at 1890 A. NJ Matthew Hale. an
other member of the State Commission
telegraphed that he could throw no light
on the subject. lie WAS notlhed not pa
come. Commissioner Gibbons was the
first witness sworn, and he related his ex-
perience with electricity.
"Iu youl judgment, IL it possible 70
generate an electrical current certain ~
kin a human bcing?n Mr.. Cochran asked.
$40 my mind" replied Mr.. Gibbons
at is very uncertain. A current that
would kill one man would not kill another
owing to the varying conditions OF the
human body. Some experiments were
made at Columbus College last year by
Harold r. Brown for the benefit OF the
Board of Electrical Control. and Commits
sioner Moss and were present. Mr.. Moss
could not stand the painful exhibition and
he left. Some Of the dogs were killed and
sOmo were not The dogs not killed APP
reared to suffer horrible agony. 10 was
one Of the most frightful sights / ever
witnessed. They gave vent % their agony
i'm walls and howls. and when the current
was shut off they dropped down exhaust
lyon do not consider dynamo currents
necessarily fatal, then?" Mr.. Cochran
asked.
"In my Judgment they are not necessa-
rily fatal"
On cross-examination Mr.. Gibbens said
both the continuous and alternating cur
rents were tried on the dogs. and both
caused pain. He did not know how much
alternating current was used, a5 its strength
could not bee measured. He remem-
bcred three mon who had been killed, but
all of them by the continuous current. 1t
WAS his impression ne said, that all arc
light currents were dangerous.
Have YOU any doubt, rs scientific OBJ
server. that such an electric current con
be produced by q dynamo as will XIII q
human being if applied SCIENTIFICALLY" In
Qurcd Mr.. Post.
II have grave doubts" replied the wit
ness
Then YOU simply don't know"
"Of course nobody knows broke in Mr..
Cochran. causing laugh at Mr.. Posts eX-
pcnse. and the witness said: - am glad TO
hear YOU say that.n
Opinions differ and susceptibility TO
electricity differs in human beings" con-
tinued the witness In is very much like
susceptibility to whiskoy. One man may
drink pint and get fat and 1t may kill an
other man.
John II. Noble. an electrician in the en-
plov of the Westinghouse Electric Com
panv. testified that ne was at Edison's
laboratory last FRIDAY with Harold p.
Brown and others and witnessed some
measurements of instances with Wheat
stone bridge SIX men measured 1870,
1910. 1910. 200, $500, and 1850 ohms. re-
spectively, from hand 10 hand. The sixth
man was measured q second time and
found to have gone upto l., 500 ohms. From
hand % foot the sixth man measured $50
ohms first and later Sl70 ohms. An
other man measured in the same way
was found ID have reslstanccs Of
1921, 6 ,2J7, 'G,O90, and $40 ohms at differ
ent times. ina only one case did they find a
mans measurements the same IN two tests.
I'm metal conductors he said the resistance
did not vary. On crOss-cXamlnRtlOn the
witness said bis company made four styles
of dynamOs of 1850 volts capacity, and
their ampere powers were y, 81, 60, and
10 respectively They used an ameter 10
measure these currents, but IL was not sell
entifcally accurate. although 70 answers the
flrltr familiar wit b fms
ameter could tell whether it was IN order
or not. though.
Alexander Meade. who described him
self as a specialist in atmospheric elec-
trlcity. was the next witness. lie SAID he
had made q study of the effects of cleo
tricity on human beings, and thought u
questionable whether the plan proposed
by the State would Kill q man. IL it did
not kin the result would depend on several
conditions, such as the route through the
body chosen bv the current. &c. IL might
pass down one side of the body and para
I'VE one half az the man and not affect the
other half. The route would depend
largely ON the physical condition OF the
body. If the current did not kill instantly
and was applied long enough IL would
burn the man mp. The interp0sition of
m0lstcned sponges might delay the burn
ing. but could not prevent 1t IN all ln-
stances TO keep up the moisture would
have that effect, but If q stream of water
were PLAYED ON the spOnges the stream
would defect large part Of the current
from the man. There are. he said, cases
on record where people struck by light
ming and pronounced dead have recovered,
and ne cited some. From experience with
animals, be said. no safe basis for killing
human beings could be arrived at. While
in the United States S ignal Service the
witness said he took over 5000 volts, but
there was very little strength 10 the cur
rent. This was while measuring the pO-
teutal OF clouds on tine Washington mOuu-
mcnt.
Charles Topper, of No. 22G Eighth
avenue. was next sworn and produced his
big st. Bernard dog Dash that was appa-
rently killed by an electric-lght current
last Tuesday as described III the World.
lie said the dog stepped on telegraph
wire which was ia contact with an electric
light wireaboUt 2:30P. VI. and was shocked.
he jumped four feet in the air. gave an
aeOniZing howl, and fell across the wire
and lay there ten on fifteen minutes
apparently dead. After this be was
carried into the Witnesses restau-
rant and an hour Letter WAS placed
i'm o hole dug IN the ground IN the rear
yard. Some time after 10 o'clock that
night the dog showed signs Of reviying.
aud at2A. VI. he had recovered 10 such an
extent that he was carried into the house.
where he lay upon q quilt, and the next
evening he was able TO get up on his front
feet, and 10y Sunday could walk down
stairs. The dog was examined and found
TO have deep burn from the wire on the
nose. another on his right shoulder, and
others on his hip and side. He appeared
to be well, but not very risky The ex-
animation will be resumed tomorrow.