Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-16
NEW TROLLEY DANGERS.
The Return Earth Current Plays Fantast
and Possibly Perilous Tricks

and Possibly Perilous Tricks
From the Regular Cor Of the Phi sdelphia Press.
NEW YoRK, Dec. 1.-THE trouble which the
operators who receive and send messages BY the
Atlantic cables have recently had has, under
stand, revealed . remarkable condition Of
things that confronts the managers Of
trolley railroad systems. An effort has
been made to keep these embarrass-
ments from the public, probably on account Of
the hostility to the development of the trolley
systems, which is met with everywhere. This
newly discovered complication promises to
seriously interfere with the future development
OF the trolley system unless it Is overcome, and
the problem OF overcoming it is what il now
attracting the attention of capitalists who are
interested in electric street railways
Tho operators on the Atlantic cable. which is
| brought via Long Island to this city, discovered
some little time ago that there were serious in
| terruptions to the electric current. They we're
unable to read clearly the messages at some
times. 1t was plain that some occult influence
was operating upon the cables, and the tests
showed that this was in Brooklyn.
Investigation made it plain that this
deleterous agent was created by tho trolley sys-
tem recently put up in that city. 1t il re-
ported to be the intention of capitalists to build
other trolley roads in Brooklyn, and this report
gives the managers of the cables considerable
| anxiety. Something must be done to
Pio'Sh' VIC VI tuest ulstuTDluR
influences.
Investigation shows that while the Atlantic
cable trouble has furnished the first serious
complaint of this sort. yet other DEVELOPMENTS
have recently occurred which suggest how great
source of evil this system NAV become
especially in crowded districts, unless the rem
edy be applied.
TROUBLE WITH EARTH CIRCUITS.
The telephone companies were the first to
! -
were those using earth circuits, just as the
trolley does. 1t was found that where tele-
phones were used in the same district IN which
the trolley was employed the service was some
times SO unsatisfactory that many o. tho sub
scribers gave it up, and the telephone managers
on investigation made the discovery that the re-
turn circuit through the earth OF The trolley
current seriously interfered with the return
teller hole circuit.
This trouble was obvated in many places by
the discarding of the earth cirepi. and the
substitution of the metallic circuit for tee-
phones.
Soon after the telephone companies learned
OF this interference there came another do
velorment. In one of the western towns it
was found that lead pipe running from a we'll
to house was out OF condition and whom IL
Was dug up its appearance indicated tina. i: bad
been subjected TO aa electric current powerful
enough 10 corrode il seriously.
This current unqUe-tionably came from the
return circuit through the earth OF a trolley
railroad systom in that vicinity. Is was then
suggested that il this effect common it
might result not only in destroying lead water
pipes. bu. also BY dissOlving the lead salts pro
Guce lead poisoning.
OF course the danger was not regarded az
very imminent At present, bu. With such sXten-
sion Of the trolley now seems inevitable. i.
might, scientists said. result i'll very serious
menace TO health.
OTHER REMARKABLE DETERMINATIONS
swiftly followiu. this discovery came some
remarkable demonstrations. Oae occurred in
Boston. In mandatory in that city :her0
wa! waterpipe and gasp!re entering tLs
building about I foot apart. No electricity
III use III any form in the building. i
A workman one day desiring to put uD an
improvised towel rack stretched a wire from
one OF these pipes to the other. but he did not
use II for towel rack. The wire be-
came heated much to lie surprise OF the
workman. IL had. in fact. e.tabli.hed an
electric circuit between the two pips. and it
wa, discovered that the current which passed
over 1t had been furnished by the earth circuit
OF one OF the trolley svstclns.
An iugeniou. man living Boston. learn
ing of thi. fact, connected wire with two
pipes and was able by means of the curren.
thu. received to run small motor. Neither
of these pipes had any connections with cleo
tricity other than that which was Furnished by
the earth through which they extended.
There wsro evidences Obtained i'll some places
OF the &C ton of the current upon water PIPE.
and gas pipes laid beneath the surface of the
earth. and such svdeaccs a. indicated that If
the curreu. b.d time enough it might ruin
these pipes Sclsuti.ts being Row interested be-
gan TO make experiments and ii was found in
one case where measure of the voltage
taken that i. amounted to as rlauy as 100 VOLT:
that IL. the escaping current in the n, to
use a popular instead of technical phrase. wIs
equal to one-fith OF the voltage required to run
the trolley cars.
OtbeT measurements shoved Frequently as
many as forty or iftv-volts thus e.capimg in The
earth. so TO speak, antpit is probably a current
OF equal voltage which has been affecting The
Atlantic cables.
MAY BE A SOURCE OF PERIL.
OF course. such al influence as This under
meath the turfcce OF the earth especially in
crowded districts. must, If continued for any
lerg.h OF time. be source of peril. The ques-
ton is. how can 1t be remcdied? And | under
stand that some OF the companies con-
sidcr.ng what promises to be an extensive but
comrlete remedy.
They propose to drive thick coprcr wire
great distance In the earth. or at least 90 ia-
down as To touch moisture. The bottom. of
these wire are 20 be metallic plates. IL is sim
ply the principle Of the perfect lightning rod.
These wires arc to be placed in the earth a.
frequent intervals. The7 will provide for a
return circuit 90 far ont Of the way of danger
as to remove all apprehension. 1t il probable
that when Inunici paiities learn Of this danger
(for il ia now genersllv unknown they will in
s.t.that :hese precautions be taken
This danger was something entirely unlocked
for when the trolley system was first established
and its discovery illustrates how much is de-
pendent upon experiment. for the complete
utilization of electricity as commercial agent.
|. i. matter which has been talked of great
deal in electric circles.