New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-31
GOOD RULES TO REMEMBER
GUARDING AGAINST ELECTRIC SHOCKS.
ADVICE FROM AN EXPERIENCED ELECTRICIAN
WITH REGARD TO LIVE WIRES.


accompanied with danger. and their use requires not
only knowledge Of their modes Of action. butt the
arcatcst precaution In handling to prevent serious
results. The minds Of electricians have been engaged
therefore, for some time In reducing tho dangers a
ending The use OF electricity 10 the lowest point
especially such rs result In destruction OF property
and they have lately introduced In large houses ram
fed by electric wires cOnduts full Of water through
which the wires pass like submerged cables.
Tho new Western Union telegraph rooms In Rroad-
way will be finished with these conduits passing under
tho floors and so arranged that when Q wire becomes
useless II be withdrawn from the end OF the tube
without the inconvenience often necessary under
the old arrangements of tearing up the floors OF the
rooms, butchering the woodwork and destroying the
walls and ceilings. These conduts, as far as
they go. form perfect protection against IRE ana
will allow insurance companies to breathe more freely
do away with much prejudice felt BY private families
against electric lighting and help to swell the incomes
of companies handling this great popular convenience
It is useless to blink at the fact that dangers 10
property have received consideration than tnose
tolife as the former stood in direct opposition to the
advance Of their subtle agency into the homes OF
individuals, while the killing OF q workman or the
knocking down OF a policeman by one OF these cur
rents In the streets, while they were depre'a'eo M
confoundcdly unfortunate occurrences, entaueo ho
serious monetary losses upon the companies E'riS
thing has been done after such an accident 10 soo'o
but for whose criminal neglect OF dnty inc acciue'
never yond have occurred and so forth
The careful solicude OF these people TO prevent
the public from becoming pre1udiced against u'e
electric wires netting the streets has s'rVen 10 Keep
many people in inter ignorance OF the terrible power
for destruction that Is everywhere present IN inc '
This ignorance Of the dangers attending the coh''
| With electric wIrcs Is reason why so many aec
dents occur. Policemen, seeing man transh4en by
an electric shock seize hold OF him and are knocked
down. perhaps killed for their pains. and 1t would ne
| casy 10 multiply where unwise ana ignorant
assistance not only did no good to the victim IN inc
Tolls but ydencd the record CT disaster 1t mas oeeh
selfish and wise policy the part OF eectr'an' 10
| cover up as much as possible. these outraCes com
mitted at the expense OF the people ana behtte te
dangers attending the use Of electricity. because
nrciudce and fear created against the use Of powerful
electric currents in the streets when electrical ghs
and use OF power in their infancy would propao
have led to legislation tending to cripple ana r'a
the progress Of this. OF the most useful ana IN
dIspensabl aduncts to modern civilzatlon EhHidhu'
ncrhans Of all countries the most prOdgal OF human
fe on points OF national honor or the acquisition Oh
| territory by legislative enacmcnts retarded the use
Of steam for years, ont Of morous ana unduc regard
for the lives Of the few people who might be injured
nv the explosion Of boilers. 1t was enacted
! that no boiler should be subjected to greater
prcssure than thrt, pounds TO the square inch.
measure that deprived steam Of us usefulness ana
was ,urelv nor enSical, boiler may be bet or
! able to withstand pressure OF 100 r"'.hds 10 tle
SQUARE inch than ano,lr 10 s'ani twenty. kaIioauS
were hampered in the same way, and trans were
forbidden to travel faster than twelve miles an hour
though since the Introduction of the locomotive casual
| ties in travel have been reduced so per cent rs
compared with the dangers Of travelling by stage
| coach
The fear OF such legislative action has been nstru-
mental in keeping the dangers OF electricity IN te
| background and there thousands upon thousands
OF people in this city, OF all ages, who are kept from
death simply because these wires are pacea' as III
| their childhood was their fathers gun out OF tHer
| ,each In view therefore, OF this ignorance among
the people and of the many who are killed or knocheu
down by electric currents, either through "orhi"H
with the wires themselves or endeaVorlng 10 rfa'o
| others who have been shocked. an electrician vi 0N
perience has compiled few rules 10 De 1oho"e' a.
safeauard against such accidents, and ne SAYS ea'
! .her observance Will precluue hi"n' ~
Here they are: $1,000
MAYER touch an electric that has fallen down across
| rour way while you are standing on the Rro"nu y"
,. ,u bocome conductor the electric fluid 10 the
| ,,h unless YOU have rubber oots upon your iee''
,,or.n are sometimes pulling these Wires aoou'
hun they have insulating rubber boots upon 'he'r io'
nvc n like material upon their hands and some people,
eunnosfnp these coverings 10 be only USED Tor pro''
against the wet weather, have foolishp graspeo INC ~
| and received severe shocks In consequence
- Should you receive shock contact win io'' . ae VI
90 nth should sought as means OF dra"ihS 'e ~
q, the body; but when your hands are cohhec'o WIN
wire bearing q live current AVOID touchins 1
,,os and all substances have reccptVity LOT inc
nud Many accidents have resulted rom po!e s, ,'
ing gospipes hot-watcr hNtureS "hch c'e'''O ''e
wires were in contact with the body.
Don't employ q carpenter or ordinary iaoorer' HUT W
ou voursef attempt electric apparatus OF any
power your property whe'H' 'nc cu'r' " ILL.,.
n, or not Men who work at 'AS BUSINESS wear i'oo'.
o,ovcs and use tools with insulated rubber handles m
| q
perenced electricians - .., .,
An electric should De handled with one mana only
NJ the danger Is greatly increased when both hanuN arc
used. II 1t Is necessary to take hou OF i've WIFI VIZ"
both hands-dont do It,
In handling drawing any wire lying over any OIL tn'
ordinary street especially such a. convey curen'
for electric lighting. use drJ hand line LOT to p,p
mr. grasp wire with insulated pncefs All orr'hai'
,,. c,o,hesne may become the conductor OF deadly
current. ..o ma, hord,o not
In a dynamoroOn. touch not. taste not manure he'
Thu n ost dshpan may strke You A
| mailed hand Nothing Is s1ie W 'ou "N'
| know everything. ~ -,
LIT workIngmen remember that when COMPANY ma
80, VIVA m the eros sbars OF poles so closely os''e
that a man cannot move easily between .he'n o,, =,
| Tor him to come down and resign mha' pro" "
tba, he has a situation. II his wife be a widow
Never open current without giving notice 10 all coh
earned A telegraph notice received IN the o"'h "a ~
| nacp Generally arrives too late to do any good
M condition let two wires touch your body at th'
came time Such is the familiarity Of the eectriccufreh
family and their freedom from all social distinctions ina
tho bearer OF a Of coincidence from the eu'."
england to Chauncey NJ. Depew on the CONDITION Vi III
..m.d nose would think nothing Of jumping into you
| s,omach to shake hands with plebelan CURRENT III
| he.rer Of a wheat quotation from Hog Hollow. .
| Don't think any wire is not dangerous ihere 10 vi
ference between gun with cap on IL anu one .
90, can be detected by naked eye but loaded wire
who knoweth lit
Trimmers employed to attend to lights In crowded pup
lie thsroughfares should be sure that the current ~
A before they touch lamp the tepadders are olei
h,pb and the public objects 10 being hit ON the meas
by gyrating, galvanized lamptrimmer.