New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-04
SIA TEEN DEATHS NOT MANY.
w. H. BROWN TESTIFIES ON ELECTRICITY
HE THINKS THAT BUSINESS COMPETITION
FORCES COMPANIES TO TAKE
PRECAUTIONS

Tho c,.to cenate Committee on General Laws, which
has been investigating the various systems Vi oo'".S
lighting continued its sessions at the loici McoPoio
YESTERDAY morning. More than the usual amount OF
interest was manifested in the discussions, winch were
listened TO by a roomfu of experts, lawyers and bhs
mss mon William IL. Brown, manager OF Inc
United Electric Light and Power Company, was the
only witness called. But his examination was Vi d
most thorough kind and lasted three hours
His COMPANY Mr. Brown said, now controlled the
r,pited states and Brush companies The legal com
nucations Of the companies had been great. Inc
troube was on account of thousands OF rusty broken
and unused wires in this city, whose ownership 'puu
NOT he discovered. alt is because so many o. thesc
wires have crossed Others" lie added, "that iaal d'
c;dents have occurred Mr.. Brown did not tlinA
any system could be devised for distributing cic'
tricitv which would be absolutely harmless lie u'u
not think the sixteen deaths which Had been 'd"'0D
nv the electric wires during the last I'VE years az
alarming number at all. He did not DcheNc '
electricity had anything 10 do with the eNp'o''''
the subways The subways had proved par''"
,o,u,ior of the electric problem. His own company
had 14O miles of cable now laid in this way anu H0"
era satisfaction had been the result Inc u"'so.o
resulting from lack of ventilation III tHe s"o"'' ~,
due TO the leakage of lie did not uocn
legislation for the ventilation Oh tho S"'
sary. . 49,, said that the
arcemert as To the construction Of the suo""s'
was simnle The Board of Electrical 'oh'ro' nav
a contract with the Consolidated leeHE"P" 49,,
trlcal subway Company for the pu"i"s VI ~ -
WAYS under supervision of the Boafu' Inc
,vas 20 he allowed to let the subways 10 inc e'"'0
Iioht and telegraph companies al Il IaI i0"'',
nav all its net profit over 10 per oo"' " -, od
H. i,v had received nothing yet because 'he'c Id"
hoen no SURPLUS sub contract had been n'uo ~ Wv.
company with the Edison Illuminating 'o"'p"-S E
inc II the privilege TO build its own suD""Ns' ~
. determination in favor of the Edison company
.r,x~ss
s.,d So 100000. His own company hdu asA0u ~
lave fifty miles more of subwayS built.
Mr. Brown agreed with former WITNESSES ""' ~
rost of construction of the underground sHS'0 -
moro than the overhead sy stem, but tAa' '"o ,'''
maintenance was less That should mean '"''re'
light ultimately to the consumer Nh'h "'o 'O, ,
ranv had first gone into business, the WINES S"'
.hor mad becn Obliged underwriters ""o'
wires of all kinds had been placed IN proN'm'S - INV
another Therein lay the haIrn tut hc sun ~ ~,
that there was no great danger from "'0
wires when properly insulated, in the snort ui",N
ouented streets, and that the city shoulu P0'"'
comnanes 10 use overhead wires in such streets un,
a. lnhrars could be built. They were necessary TO
,nr,v tho customers The principal objection 10 ''o
xuhways built thus far was that they hau Decm "''
mt sufficient manholcs and distributing oo"u''> III
consoouence the streets had to be torn up lol lo"s
distances when the light had been H''ou"''u INV
houses. -
-, his comnany was 800 volts. For the Brush sNs-
tenn it was $500 volts. The largest Single 'ir'"'.
was thirteen and one half miles OwnS 10 IN. senvli
,rsference manifested for the arc lights ana 10 ncM
tmnrovement the company intended to substitute tr
arc lights for Brush lights a. soon a. pvsslv IT, dit
Brown believed the system also saiet th'.il In Hill
iov nresSure system. For smaller cities the "fc Ast
wouid also do the greater service. lnVV va" .,,,mo
Ssnrer I'm touching the wires unless circuit OF El""u
was formed Three sts day were mace b, lic CON-
paw the BOARD Of Electrical Control Lad never eX.
no