New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-01
DANGERS OF ELECTRICITY.
THE SENATE COMMITTEE AT WORK.

EXPERTS TESTIFY AS To THE NEED OF soME
POWER TO CONTROL THE COMPANIES.
The Committee on General Laws OF the s'a'e SCH
ate. which Is investigating the danger cohheo'eu WIN
tbe nse Of electricity in this city, resumed It's Session
a., Tho Hotel Nfetropoc Yesterday morning. only iour
~ the committee senators Erwin Cantor, Brown ana
veddcr were present The parlor of the hotel IN wch
Tho meeting was held was well filed, however, win
men interested in the subject under discussion
After Thomas Costigan had been asked q IL" pno,
tions George W. Hebard, president OF the ,h'eo
c..,es Electric Lighting Company called to the
witness chair. His company, he said, had ho'hins "
do with suppying light TO the city, but Only SUN
apparatus lie not, he said, an eec'rica' oAPo''
but believed that his nine years business eNpcricnoo
had shown him that the deaths resulting from cie'V
lighting apparatus had caused by the Imperfect
construction Of the wires, their dsarIanecmeh' vi
neglect Either overhead or underground wires eoula
he made harmless the proper safeguards were used
Mr. Hebard believed that there was less DANGER i'll
underground wires in case they were properly ihsu'
lated but where the insulation was Imperfect 'heio
was Just as much danger as from overhead "ioa
lie believed that an electrical commission which du
its work by clearly defined methods, would be oe''cr
than no commission whatever. At present the COM
NAMES used such wires they chose. There was no
municipal regulation to govern the KIM OF wire uscu
The only control was that Of the Board OF ohoef-
writer's. The kind of wire to be used was important
X. r. Bowker, first viccpresident OF inc hulso"
Electric Illuminating Company. said regarding inc
economy Of the high tension current far as the wfe
was concerned that the 1,OOOvolt current would nc
uuire sixteen times much copper in the wire as d
25O-volt current There danger of fire In poth sys
tens The deaths in this city had all resulted iroh
the highcnsion system. lie also favored the appoht
ment Of an electrical commission.
Commissioner Hess, of the Board OF Electrloai |oh-
troll said that the present system of subways in this
city was a successful one in his opinion There had
been no serious accidents in the subways which should
be laid to the electric wires. He believed, however,
that there more danger III the hlSh-
tension current than in the lowtension current.
Daniel L. Gibbons brought out the fact that out Of
tho 4,3sI deaths which had occurred from negl
gence and accident this city during the last three
wears but fifteen had been caused by electricity
Edward +. Reynolds Of the Coroners Office. gave the
following list of deaths resulting from electric shock
during the last five years;
Frederick simons. January 81, 1884; John Simp
son. May q, 1857 George schweiger. October "a.
1857: Never streiifer. April 10. 1855 T. ;. witte
April ss lsss Thomas Murray May i'll 1ssS
August o. 1858; Edward Quinn. January IS. 1850;
y. a. Henry, september g. ls79 CharleS Er 5sn
II. Harris, December l. 1889: p. Clausen December
10, 1850 and Patrick sullivan, December IA, 1-o9.
After Coroner schultzc had given some particulars
regarding the deaths Of several men, Edward H.
Johnson one Of the directors of the Edison Company
said the loss of life due TO insufficient insulation
of the wires. Loss OF life would not occur u the
current were not strong TO overcome the resist
ance of the body. For that reason the Edison
Company had advocated low pressure that Is pressure
that would not overcome the resistance OF the body
There had been of death resulting from
the Edison current. There was comparatively little
difference between the two systems. however. as 10
danger OF fire. He thought the present regulations
governing the of electricity entirely insufficient
There was no law to what kind of wires should he
used, or how the insulation should be accomplished
The Board OF Fire Underwriters only in'erfcrcd III
the case of building that insured. otherwise they
did not concern themselves with the subject. There
should be proper and competent authority APP
pointed, whose Instructions and laws must he oheyed
That authority should extend to the systems OF the
small cities also.
The committee then adjourned until 10 O'Clock
this morning