New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-20
ABOUT THE EXPLOSIONS.
MANHoLE UrHEAvALs INVESTIGATED
THE STATE SENATE COMMITTED on GENERAL
LAWS LISTENS TO TESTIMONY CUM
CORNING THEM-oPlNioNs on
ELECTRIC TRACTION.

ELECTRIC TRACTION.
Senator Commodore T. veddcr presided Hes'eru"'
NJ the hearing before the General Laws 'oh'"'''ec
NJ the Senate which is conducting Senerai inquiry
into gas and electric lighting in THIS state Hon"'"'
Erwin the chairman OF the committee wa u"" u''s
kept away. The other senators present WIZ "0"''
j. Coggeshall and Norton Chase. senator 'a'oo -
Cantor the Tammany Hall member ITO" '"S '1N'
did not attend At the previous meetings oi 'no
committee attention has been particularly directed
toward electric lighting and the dangers 10 HE "'n
cnsuc from IT, But. yesterday, the committee op''io"
much important testimony both about gas hshu"s
and electric power for traction. Several witnesses
were called who are experts on these two SUBJECTS
H. p. Ford. electrical engineer explained
ahout various systems Of electric power
for street cars. lie knew all about inc
working Of the trolley or overhead system IN Eng
land, where he came from. The trouble Win tho
use Of system in this country was the fear that
water would get into the csnduts. The SeerS MOTOR
and tar cells used small wire. which enabled the re-
turn WIRE in the troly system. TO be outside OF tho
conduts without a chance OF short circuit" With
this system he thought that there was no danger In
using the alternating currents
The Partrush ysem was originally an overhead
wire system. II worked wen when he saw 1t last
lie used the word trolley much that one Of the
members OF the committee who knew but little OF
electrical engineering asked Mr. Ford to explain what
a trolley, was He pointed out that 1t was
block which ran along the wire directly in front ana
above the car and connected with 1t by wlie
After he had explained this TO the satisfaction OF inc
committee. he told how the eonau,
system was more likely to cause shor'
circuits than the overhead system Again Ge
was STONED to tell what short circuit was " IL Is
simply a diversion of the circuit from water OF any
other cause" were his words.
Senator Coygeshall wanted to know how many Volts
could be used in electrical apparatus OF TINS KIM
In
question: used about the same arguments that nearly
all OF the electrical experts who have given testimony
presented that it depended upon the person Thus
horny handed would he able TO take perhaps
1000 volts, while another could not take 'Vo 'olS'
The storage battery system the witness thought was
the safest. but not mechanically pracucaDic oo'""
OF the weight of the motors and batteries VINCE
averages abou, 600 pounds. Then there was eIca'
liability of their getting ont Of order
The question Of the explosions IN the shD""S was
next gone into Mr.. Ford said that II the "lrcS "cc
properly insulated there could be no explosions
Gas could only ignite when there was a great hea
spark name
Don't Won know" asked senator Ncddcr. "thai tho
gas pipes in many cases have been eaten out ana 'h"
the only conductor Of gas Is clay y
Mr. Ford answered that he knew nothing aoo"'
that. Gas. he admitted. was of course dangerous y"
health and should be controlled in some way. An
effort was made get him to admit thai there was
danger from the falling of these overhead wires Tor
supplying power Ia street carr. He was eNuc"cN
ioath to be put record on this point II wires iet
II was an accident CAUSED 10y IN am c>tr, wir.
running above the overhead" wire Womb zee oi en-. aiH
advantage In fat he thought tiA' The u"nSe' rum
Prank ;. >prasuc. vice president Of the sprasne
Of electricity for traction senator Nedder asked
him To tn al he knew about the subject. w w h nc
told would Ill "a volume. But here Is "A part Oh what
lie had been engaged for the last three four years
in he
ways put In operation before l-G or - were purely
Experimental and there were twelve different svs,cms
N use at that time. In this country now fully % per
cent Of the electric railway: were single , overheau
wire systems. The " conduit" system had failed CIV"
ing their being chcapN constructed and to the Door
ness Of sewerage systems conduit ROAD d mlsn u.
$4,000 mile. TODAY there we're Ia electric rail
WAYS In operation in the United states which averaged
10000 miles Of travel daily. and nine or Ten million
dollars were annually expended IN electric ran,
$4,000 Ed 10 $1,000 and S's there ns' % about
1000 in use The practice N the trolley sys,em Wa
to carry aDo1t 40 y" wS %ge c not s @Ic
lead car wirc the telephone wire would be burned
out and If the connections into the telephone boxes
We're bad the building would be set fire.
Mr. spraguc sugge.tcd that a Board Of Control 81
paid a good salary. should be established. 20 have
power 20 compel eas. steam heating and power com
Keep in repair their ncs pipes, mains and wires and
10 have absolute control over them. lie was asked
T. l. Andrews. president Of the NewNorh steam
Power Company. said tina. there had never been an
explosion, were N manhDcs built by the
American Steam Company. which was formed several
wears ago and caused by the boilers In th> city
which exhaust into the sewers When asked regard
ing the danger 10 life. he wanted 10 know, Why IN
thunder the committee didn't investigate the horse
cars They kill more people every year than the
steam pipes and electric light and cars
STEPHEN Mccormick. the superintendent Of the
Bureau Of Gas and Water Mains, said that the escape
Of ga, was by the raising Of the pipes. which
resulted in break, in them. lie gave figures showing
tbc number of miles Of -aS mains In this city. Tie
capital invested by the various companies ana their
per cent ~ profit. ,, =,
ras explosion. simply testified 10 that it'l. ana 10
lie appearance Of The rooms after the explosion.
The committee adj burned u meet ~ MORO" morn,
ing when j. W. smith. president Of the CONSOLIDATED
Gas Company r. VI. &. Graham. Of the fpuliabe ;
j.. Iowhcr Smith. Commissioner Gilroy, Colonel H. :.
Kcarney and General Sckles will give testimony.