Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-09
PUT ON POLICE DUTY.
Electricity Now Used as a Guard by
the Safety Department
no MORE FINGER Marks ON RAILS
Clever Devices for Keeping Back the Too
Curious Public.
TIE SENTENCE Is NOT TIE ONLY SHOCK

The Bureau of Police has become excited
on electricity. 1t has proved to be q much
better guard to the property Of the bureau
than a squad OF policemen, and is not so
hard to manage. About 200 volts OF the
subtle fluid will spread more terror than q
whole line of drawn maces. 1t has accord
ingly been brought into requisition to pre-
serve the privacy Of some of the Offices, and
has even been debased so tar as to be SEN
tenced to preserve the polish on the nickel
plated rails at the various station houses
These rails are kept brightly polished
and every finger mark shows. AT the morn
ing hearings they generally suffered the
most and were made regular roosting places
for the mob that frequent these courts out
of pure curiosity. Every method known
was tried to keep these ratings free from
human burdens, but without avail. Super
intendent Morris Mead, of the Bureau of
Electricity, however, suggested the remedy.
A year ago he was troubled with people
who invaded the sacred precincts of his
electrical instruments and he arranged an
electrical mat at the entrance to the oper-
ating room. Several people tried it and
were tied in knots and the operating room
is now sacred from every touch.
A Number Of New Appliances.
Electrical appliances were accordingly
placed in a number of the station houses
with startling effect. The one in Central
station was put in on Saturday and Judge
Gripp's hearings are every now and then
enlivened BY an involuntary skirt dance or
rather cross between the skirt dance and
the Spanish fandango. The appliance is
simply copper wire run along the floor
about foot from the base of the railing. It
connects with one Of the supports and in
that way the whole rail is charged. When
person simply puts his fingers on the rail
nothing strange is noticed, but he is sure to
step on the wire and then there is a trans
formation scene in which the victim lets
out howl and no one ever tries it second
time.
1t has almost cleared the rails at the morn
ing hearings, and is fast Kidding the town of
vagrants. They come in to apply for lodg-
ing, and then step on the wire. They don't
know just how it happened, and the request
for lodging is never finished, for the appli-
cant has fled for his life.
Inspector Coulson is also enjoying the
new appliance very largely. He has
pleasant way of getting his unsuspecting
friends up close to the rail to talk to them,
and then they step on the innocent wires
and get mad. Last night, however, he was
stumped. He led one of his old-time
friends up to the place, and he was certain
the man was getting the full force of 200
volts, when the man remarked: 81 believe
this rail is charged with electricity. 1 have
been taking it for some time f6r rheumatism,
and it takes pretty near 400 volts to effect
me now."
Another Peculiar Place.
In City Hall there is an iron gateway to
the operators room of the police telephone
system. There is mat we'll supplied with
wire laid before the iron gate. When one
steps on it and then touches the gate it
completes the circuit and creates disturb
ance. There have been a number of verv
sad experiments and the telephone oper-
ators are now left to themselves.
The ratings in the Eourteenth and Nine
teenth ward stations have also been sup
piled with the electric current. In the lat
ter station the water cooler has tor some
time been supplied with this appliance, but
so it could be turned on and off at
pleasure. 1t was originally intended to
save the beverage for such OF the officers as
INDUCED in its use, but just as practical
joke the current was turned on one member
of the force and he laid off for nearly three
months as a result.
In the public safety warehouse on Wylie
avenue there are large number of devices
for keeping back a too curious public. It
has also become quite sobering-up place
for many Of the old soaks on the hill. Two
sponges are suspended from wires, one
charged with a positive current and the
other with negative current. Catching
both of them completes the circuit. The
current is not very strong and every MORN
ous nights jag shocked out of them.
no MT foil fo offopd the oroot An