Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-12-25
Look Out for the wires.

When man is found dead with a
bullet hole through his Uranium, few
people would care to spend much time
in demonstrating that he might have
persisted in steamboat explosion. So
when horse runs against an electric
wire and drops lifeless popular opinion
will not take readily to the notion that
it was the fall that knocked the animal
out Neither will cut nose and a
scratched knee go far toward sub
stantiating the theory that the horse
pounded himself to death on the stones
of the street. The horse is dead and
the wire that killed him carried deadly
current. Had it been man, instead of
horse, there is possibility, to draw it
mildly, that he might have been struck
dead in the same way and with the
same suddenness. 1t may be man
next time. Two men have already been
hurt in this city by this dangerous
alternating current; the next human
victim may not live to tell the story of
his encounter with broken wire.
In the event of such fatality there
would not be much consolation in
the GAzETTEs saying ~ told you
So" but in view Of Thursdays convinc-
ing demonstration of the power for
harm incorporated in the wires that
convey the current to most of our cleo
trio street lamps, and to all those remote
from the heart of the city, it is well
enough now to recall that, on the
threshold of the introduction of the
Westinghouse system here, in its issue
of July 22d, 1889, the GAZETTE
called public attention 10 this danger,
saying editorially:
1t is no part of the GAzETTE's bust
ness 70 sound acallseless or needless alarm;
but 1t is its province to state fairly to its
readers where danger lies, as it sees the
danger. In this case miles of wire are to
be put up in our city to carry high ten
sion current Of 1000 volts. So long aS these
wires remain intact and undisturbed at the
tops of the poles they are not likely to do
any harm. But if one of them falls to the
ground-thrOugh any one of the accidents
which high wind may bring, such as the
branch of tree across the line. &c, the
man who gets in its way would be wise TO
carry a pretty heavy life insurance for the
benefit of his widow.
And, as measure Of self-protection
in the public interest, EVERY EVENING
in the same editorial went on to say:
Obviously the proper place for all such
wires is under ground, and there we be-
lieve they will eventually 80 in all cities.
But since they are not going there just yet
i'll Wilmington, it becomes the duty of the
Street and Sewer Department to do some
thing in the way of insuring the commun-
ity against the danger with which they are
ireighted. The saving which acerues to the
city between the cost of electricity and
gasolene is q reasonable monetary valua-
ton of this element of danger Why not,
therefore, require the electric light com
pany 70 give bond in this amount as com
pensation for the public risk, out Of which
sum payments for injury to life or limb
might be assessed by arbitration This
would be q perfectly practicable business
proceeding, and the stake would be fur
ther guarantee to the extent that it would
ensure the observance on the part of the
lighting company Of the most watchful
preca!ltion against all avoidable accident
or risk.