New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-04
FIRE UNDERWRITERS OBJECT
THE EDISON SYSTEM OF WIRING DECLARED
UNSAFE.
THE BOARD WILL NOT WRITE POLICIES WHERE
GROUNDED WIRE Is USED IN ELECTRIC
ILLUMINATION POSSIBLE INTERFER-
ENCE WITH THE COLUMBIAN DIS
PLAY-THE ELECTRIC COMPANY
The BOARD Will.
HOPES FOR A COMPROMISE.

PLAY-THE ELECTRIC COMPANY
HOPES FOR COMPROMISE.
A fight Of great magnitude is on between the
New-York Board Of Fire Underwriters and the
Edison Electric Illuminating Co. Both sides
are sure that they are right, and neither intends
| 10 move from it's position. In the meantime
property owners whose policies aggregate hundreds
of millions of dollars will either be forced by the
| insurance companies to pay much higher premiums
or have their policies revoked entirely. The mat
ter came to light through the elaborate prepara-
tions that are being made for brilliant illumina-
| tIon OF the city next week during the Columbus
celebration here.
Onc Of the largest retail dry goods houses OF the
city sent letter to its insurance broker yesterday
morning inquring If the contemplated elaborate
! system Of ncandescent lights on the ou'sl'e VI
tbc building would invaidatc its fire insurance
policy. They also asked if the consent Of the
insurance company could be secured, and II
such consent was necessary, asked that it be OBJ
taircd at once The reply of the brokers brings
ont startling fact, and one or
tn, greatest Importance to many peo-
ple who are already making their plans
to illuminate their houses 10y the Edison Iiiuni-
natinq CnmDany's wires 1t appears that Ill
March last. after a long investigation, the New
York Board Of FIRE Underwriters gave notice "ia'
no cquprncnts for electric lighting would DE "P
proved after October ! where grouhd"u wiz
was any part OF the system. The time was SET SIN
months OIL in order TO give all companies 'i'a'
might have grounded wires a sufficient time III
which to change the same. The systems of all the
electric Illuminating companies comply WIN the
rule of the Board Of Underwriters. except tha' oi
the Edison Company How insurance men look
at the present state Of affairs may be Secn from
the let er Of Weed & Kennedy, No. 90 flne-st'
10 their client This letter conveys an important
iniiInation 70 those who contemplate using dic
wires Of that company for purposes OF illumlna-
ton The letter reads
You,s Of tie 1st Inst asking whether your illua, nra
Ing the exterior OF your buildings with the incan
d, cent eieetc Hight vii IN any WAY aesTo' h Sn
hereof has conferred with the superintendent OF
surveys OF the New-iork Board of Fire Underwater"
nneeEgEi,r ar" gngns S e1 to 20 ssF% aoas even Pr 70
civ the city rfcr to- but therc Is at tns un"
al unfortunate complication. me fMiSlH i'"T',u n,
ins Company has di'rccard'd the rl1- % tDr n2sI
a., Inc s,f.v 81 equipments FOR clerlir lgluug.
Indeed. II + probably not too strong an rSPts ion rb bo
say that that company ha- d"ncd the Board me
~ ~ovr all tl. Uch'ng companies notice six months
az, that the use u grounded wire, must cease INC
Fason company h., refused 10 act upon that notice.
and Therefore tle survey department OF the Board VIII
herrsrrr decline 10 mai" any lh.pcc'9hS OF eInp i
that company notifies the Ioa'd that th"y nave com
pn,d With IN" rules Of sa,cty ..,....
L. eel nINtN'I ltH1UIhih- 49,
no, - or wiring nd at.rvard o. supp int ih' cur
,t ,ro rr- sing 10 tlc 10 m, standard Of safety
20 & ,n crmply win this certificate from Tho
ncar, together with thc prm,s.on already on yonr
snv ", ...-,i hlns th, gn' TO got the certificate
from rhc roaif. Gus n'''ns '"u "l 'r'"'' !" u''
vc, truly your' WEED & KENNEDY.
1,,ncs W Pryor. secretary of the Edison Com
many. vas ,kcd yesterday afternoon by reporter
- Tho Tribune to explain the company's posi-
,on. and why il declined to comply with The rules
or safety as passed by the Boar of Fire Under
wricr. He snid:
~our system is low tension, and all Others are
hioh tou.ioT ovcrcicpitS, anI cohnert'' Ih'
y,,cr or gas mains Tile Board of Fire Under
writer's does not fully apprccia'" the eec'rlr''
conditions and hope that II Will rcconSi'c' 10
riIine and eventually r"-clnd IT NV" IeI"ll'
ucnt- were cNactcd 10y the Board IN Mar'h'
Fnst-To remove az ground wires ms na' |"
=, ,,t,s .,at,on pfactice and the Beard Of nIrr-
writer's has 70 do wlth electrical in'uItloh inSi'e
,hc hou.c and our own requirements are, !" la'''
49,. moro stringent than theirs. Sccond.-To make
lily rcports of the installation of our circuits
~ how. uo circuits, and, therefore, must rrp"''
,,l,olo street system if AZ all. We nave
.,.r,,l hard on this report for five months ""'
.a,, r,, CONNECTED il yet Policies whirh r'''"
.I - hundreds of millions of dollars are
\ total W
Affected 49,. -. oil ba
81, will not invaldate any policy al AL u"
.aid o,.,yerirr a question as to whether '''"
customers would not bc forced 10 'aAr o"' :"
lioia. AT , hicher rate Of rl,R '"','
ho said do not support tn" postum var"
,b. p,ord of Underwriters. Ana th'S Nv "''
sor, ,ba, our -ystcm of wires i th' c""''
I,rce uroportion Of fines. On tine 'o"'"'i
,.rc.ntaqc of fires is very small V,' ,,a-a,,I
are rngde up from the reports OF '"' ,nir,r
for ,san nnd 1881 In lH'" 'her' WV .,.a
d. T., buildinos In which there w'rc '''0
, ,,il,t,,ns The los amounted u |'-o'
am including the fire IN the western NV" ~ I
.orsnh Kuildine, where the los, WAS F'''oVV
oons.J undoubtedly 10y ovoTcharS'' sap
is Nina of these buildings were llu'''''
h, this companv, but higli-tenS'oh cohiP''' ,
had wires in two of these pul"i"4H' ,.
tbo,c were ifty-nne hres III ""i'''', & .,
.t ,,.or. electrical installations. Inc u'"
loss was S7O,ll6. Our w"'s ~ "cio -, ,,i.., tan
,.u,inos yhore the los, Yves $1,000. il'sh-'c"-
sim Illuminating companies aiho "'" "''' "
OF thcS ~ tLesc facts, theory should not ply
much of a part We want prIctlc" WI that il
'iai,, dat This ruling Is h'ru7Ii'p' ~ dli' ~ o,,r
cl"n" u,ctic,I impo~sihility for us 10 lchoN' o"i
10 "rnnnJincs Our company has vas, ,ico Sa Dis
and supplics four great distrlotS' Nv, ti ,hn retai
ria downtown, Inf NY r"y''a lis
f.sr and the best part of the reslen,e o "i
% o"r clients are business men; ana th'' our
trlct' Vui ann,,,nv are practical business men
"Is cen o. o. t nnt understand that it is claimed ta'
%f have saTfi sS / fria sh "%"GS' it IS simply
No W, ".o,,lin, which we hope Will soon DE re
nH hnt we are prepared to defend our position
in this matter, VIC know that we are nracicc gi
This rroundng of wires II connion P'"'''N
,,itb LARGE low tension companies. ,;l ,b,t
"'tr Electrical expert of the company aGmea Via ic
ROUNDED wires were source OF Snn uamsor onoo.eI
ADMITS ,T ,yircs- and had said that he rcsaried
T., to gronn",n as urs,fr But Mr. Edison ia now con
% y%oed that they dcsrbe le1pas Pa.rd %" Of 'e Fire
,ac; NV - - o,,,res a grounded neutral wires
Dnnions Of the Edison people were not up up
held Is Board of 9doE % @
SurncS Snoint advanced by Mr. Pryor. The idea OF 'h
anrc companies not supporting their board OF
IhH,' Ut - tlo nnsifian they have takrn Wdo