Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-08-14
rHoSE 20 LAMPS.
Why ana by whom We're They
Eefr in Gircukll


Left ia CtrcutIl
Preliminary to insinuations that the
Westinghouse Electric Company was
willing to pay wall for having Reminders
execution bungled an Auburn letter to
the New York World says: The excite.
ment over Reminders execution having
subsidized and calmer survey of the stu
alton being possible, people are begin
ming to inquire IS to the responsibility
| for the horrors of the tragedy. The one
blunder that stands out in bold relief
was leaving the twenty incandesoent
lamps in the circuit while it was being
| applied TO the murderer. Every congo
tent electrician knows that the result of
! such an action must be to reduce the
current rsssing through the subj ct.
Experts agree that to certainly execute d
man instantly and psinlessly, current
of at leas 1000 volts and OF enough
alnperes to give substance to the current
should be used. Some experts say 2, 900
volts are requisite, and many claim thai
more than 1000 are needed, but none
assert that i. is safe to experiment with
less than 600.
Volts indicate the Intensity or death
dealing capacity o, the current and am
peras the quantity. As experts express
It, ampaees indicate the szs of the can
non ball and volts the amount OF powder
back OF 1t. Therefore it will bs seen that
both volts and Rmperes are essential ele-
ments In electrical executions. The lamps
in the circuit would reduce both the
quantity and strength Of the current.
Ihey would act as counter weight
would in 40 execution by hanging. This
counter action of the currents power is
held responsible for the failure to kill in.
stantly aud the horrible burning Of
Reminders flesh.
Were those incandescsut lamps left in
the circuit through carelsssness, ignor-
snee or design? There wera electrical
experts IN the dynamo room, in the room
where the switches and lamps were and
In the death chamber. At least one OF
thase experts knew the lamps were ID the
circuit and he also undoubtedly knew
that they would reduce the current.
Warden Durston acknowledges that he
knew the lamps were in the circuit. Only
ons Of thu witnesses OF the execution
managed TO get into the room where the
switches and lamps re, aud he wa.
promptly elected by order of Warden
Durston. THIS man discovered that the
20 incaudeSoent lights were not burning
brilliantly. Thl1 vas Immediately bsfore
the execution.
A ons-thousand volt current will MAKE |
20 ineandescent lamps burn clear and
white unless there is other resistance in |
the circuit Less will make them glow,
but the Fl me viii be yellow in proper.
ton to thu decreasa OF voltage until it
becomes q fiint ged s.reak and dies out.
The speed 0f this dynamo, all other con
ditions ba!ng favorable, regulates the
voltage, and tue msu who made the
Auburn dynamo said before the execution
that II WAS not capable of 4 speed that
would give more than 500 volts.
The Westinghouse Electric Company
made the three dyuamoe that Harold r.
Brown furnished the State for executions.
The representations OF thai compang
agree that these dynamos we're in good
order when purchased by Brown. Ex
perss say even 2 1000 volts passing through
~ lamps Of high resistance would lose
enough in potentisiity or pressure com
bined with the loss ia quantity from the
o. such serious oostactes--
to leave d0ndt as the instantaneous
death d the subject