Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-08
ELECTRIC LIGHTING.
SAFE IF PROPER SAFE
GUARDs ARE ADOPTED.
Cheaper Than Gas at One Dollar and
twenty-five Cents per Thou
sand Feet.
From the Scientific American. ]

From the Scientific American
In this city the Board of Electric Con-
troll has removed from the poles many
dangerous electric light wires. The tenn
porary result is to reduce the illumination
of large portion of the city to the weak
glimmer of gas lights, but the public is re-
lieved from the daily occurrence of those
shocking tragedies by which many lives
were lost.
Another source of danger still remains
greater, perhaps, than that of the old over
head light wires; we allude to the elect
rical subways. In efforts to effect the re-
moval of the over head wires, the city au-
thorities constructed beneath the surface
of the streets a system Of electrical con-
duits, called subways, designed to receive
the electric wires. These subways now
run through the principal streets, and so
far no mode has been devised for prevent
ing the infltration within them of the es-
Gaping Cos from the gas mains. 1t is well
known that 10 per cent. OF the contents of
these mains escape into the adjacent earth.
This gas finds Its way into the electrical
subways, where it accumulates and forms
an explosive mixture large in volume,
which is equitable by the smallest electric
spark. The result is frightful explosion
which tears up the pavements, scat
tering the stones and iron in all directions.
Four of these explosions lately took place
in New York en- one of the most crowded
streets, Sixth avenue. Several others
have occurred. Fortunately no lives
were lost but the danger 30 life
is very great. The authorities
in trying TO manage the electric wires have
gone from the frying-pan into the fire.
The subways are a dangerous nuisance,
and there can be no safety until thor
ough system of ventilation is introduced.
In this connection it is interesting to
consider what eminent authorities in
Europe say about the safety of electric
lighting and the modes they regard as the
best. Being 5000 miles away they are
probably disinterssted, whereas, in this
country the electric lighting business is
chiefly in the hands of the high pressure
companies, who claim their plans are per-
fectly safe, or can be made safe, and yet
they are all the time killing people.
Werner Siemens, OF Berlin, who is prob
ably one of the most practically expert
enced and scientific electricians now liv-
ing, in a recent interview with CORE
spondent of the New York World,
expressed himself as follows
"By well constructed underground con.
duits the danger of electric light wires can
be totally abolished, if low pressure cur
rents are used, and the dangers resulting
from very high pressure can be reduced to
minimum in the same manner. There is
no doubt at all that the greatest proper
ton of such accidents as have happened in
New York will cease on the day when the
last overhead wire is buried.
'tGas and water pipes" Herr Siemens
continued, "can never act as conductors Of
dangerous electric currents from the I'M
dsrground wires into dwelling houses.
These pipes, if crossed by such a current,
would at once divert it into the ground.
1t is Just so with lightning rods, which
electricians frequently connect with the
water pipes because they make the easiest
and most perfect distributor of electricity,
diffusing the current over so wide an area
as to make it harmless.
"The insulated wires for street lamps
should be placed inside of hollow lamp
posts. For interior lighting (houses, stores,
etc. no high pressure currents should be
used unless the construction is such that
every possible danger from contact with
conductors or lamps is obviated
electric light conductors will never
cause fire, unless they are carelessly con-
structed. A well-planned and properly
constructed conductor, supplied with the
necessary safeguards, is entirely harmless.
"No death caused by contact with cleo
trio wires has ever happened here in Ber-
lin. A few accidents by fire have hap
pened in isolated plants, but always be-
cause of faulty construction.
Overhead wires should never have more
than 500 volts pressure. Underground
conductors, with transforms, no more than
1000 volts The tranformers and con-
ductors should, however, be tested up to
5000 volts.
"My system of insulated conductors, pro-
tected by lead cover, asphaltum and sheet
iron, has proved successful wherever it has
been used-in Berlin, Munich, Rome, Mi
Ian and other continental cities. Some of
these cables have been in use (partly for
high pressure and Transformers for six
years, and are apparently good for long
time to come. Their exact duration can
not be fixed Time only can solve that
question.
This system, or a similar one will over
come all the difficulties you Americans
have to contend with. l conclusion, will
say that high pressure should never be
used except where, for pecuniary or tech
nical reasons, it is impossible to introduce
low pressure"
The World correspondent then called
on Herr Emil Rathenau, who is President
of the Berliner Electricians Werke, which
supplies the Berlin public with electric
lights. He had been kept thoroughly
posted by correspondent in New York of
what had been going on in America, and
was quite willing to discuss it.
81 have read" he said, 'of the numer-
Gus accidents in New York, and, in my
opinion, your Mayor did an excellent
thing when he ordered the electric wires
overhead to be cut. They should all be
placed underground. There is no danger
of the currents being carried into the
house by gas or water pipes, and thus
making mischief. 1t is absurd. think
the trouble has been caused by the care
lessness of the companies. They were
probably trying to make money tooquickly.
"There are two kinds of accidents which