New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-15
DANGERS or ELECTRICITY.
PICKERING AT THE INVESTIGATION.
FACTS BROUGHT OUT BY TIE STATE SENATE
COMMITTEE on GENERAL LAWS.

COMMITTEE on GENERAL LAWS
The State Senate Committee on General Laws, which
IS investigating the dangers connected nth the us'
Of electricity met AGAIN at the Hotel Metropolis yc'
to-day after an adjournment of two weeks Not only
vas ,bc committee with Senators Erwin. Cog-cshal.
Cantor vedccr, Van Gor1cr AID Brown. more fiN
represented than at any previous meeting, but
larger audience also listened 10 the testimony The
session was made decidedly electric toward its close
nv the unexpected quarrel between Paul D. Cfavath
and Eevrctt p Wheeler who have attended all the
meetings OF the committee. Mr.. Wheeler has fro
ouentIy assisted I'm the examination Of witnesses AT
the different sessions IN accordance with the pcrinl-
sion given to him by Chairman Erwin. TO SECURE
that permission he presented petition 20 the sen
ators signed by several citizens, asking for thorough
Investigation of the dangers Of electricity These
citizens, he said he represented.
This Mr. Cravath yesterday denied. lie said that
he made no secret 81 the fact tia. he himself pre-
sented the Westnsho system. lie thought II "a'
wrong however. for Mr. Wheeler 10 contnuc " ma'qur
radina as disiuterestcd philanthroplst' when he In
reality Represented the interests OF tho Edison Com
panv lie thought the Senators and the public shond
understand that. In proof Of his statement Mr.
Crsvath said that the petition which Mr. Wheeler
had laid before the committee when he had nrt asked
permission to take part IN tho proceedings was pre-
pared in the interests OF the Edison low tension svs
TEN. That petition had been signed by Charlc'
III. &.
O. Wilson, Adolph scheftcl and X. !. tortis. All "f
those names had been secured by General Coils when
the petition was brought 10 him by the private sccie
tary Of Henry Willard the president Of the fd'oh
General Electric Light Company. lie had subpoenaed
General Coils 10 prove. howcy that when 10
signed the petition he had done 80
With no anlno,ity toward the high pressure
systems believing that he had been one OF the many
other sicncrs General Coils wa then called 20 tho
chair to confirm these statements. But. Mr.. Chair
man. continued Mr.. Cravath, the only other sign
or Of that paper was r. j. Corti-, the father Of Mr.
Whcelcr's partner"
Mr. Wheeler then admitted that Mr.. Cprtis was his
partners fither but denied that he represented the
Edison Company. L have submitted my views here
as private citizen he continued. u have given
considerable study to this subject lie objected 10
Mr. Cravahs language. but admitted that he received
a fec for dcvotng his time 70 the investigation.
The Grst witIrss Of the day A. d. Van 7rescn,
the Inspector Of electric wires for the BOARD Of Fire
UnderW rters. lie raid the board hal system II rlle
governing the introduction oi wires into buildings, bt
the companies were not obliged 80 submit 10 thcai
William A. Anderson superintendent Of the survey De
parimcnt OF the Sew lOrh Board 81 flfe I if'r-
writer. said that the wire commonly known a. IN
dcrv'ritcr, wire not sanctioned by the tuA,l,
and that he did not know Why II was 70 chIed ~
Dr. Henry Morton, president Of stevens ln'ttute AZ
IIobokcn gave St IA, opinion That All electric cur
rents were harmless # rrory sa r,,r,cr val I".
more threatening 10 property E'fn ne h"n as gu, W.
e@ no SSgscl n aPP a a ali IN a the G @ re
current was the harmful. IL wa, most desirable
that the State should have supervision Of me electric
Professor Morton said that he had believed them IN
| safo formerly. because insulation had been 50 i'm
sulaton a current Of 10000 volte would be harmless.
Colonel Henry 5. Karney, engineer Of the BOARD
electrical engineer also testified. The examination
| viii be continued to day at II O'Clock.