Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-30

efficient, metallic circuits-that Is, making
the complete circuit by means Of two wires
instead of one wire and the earth-as rap
idly as possible. 1t has been found that
where the lines Of telephone and telegraph
companies are in the vicinity of trolley
lines their satisfactory operation has been
prevented by induction through the earth
from the latter.
Ground ImpreEnated With Electricity
1.-THE effect Of this induction may be more
clearly understood by giving the results Of
experiments recently made by an cleo
trician of the Postal Telegraph Company
In Harrisburg, Pa, where there is a sys-
tenn Of trolley lines. 1t was found that the
ground between Harrisburg and Carlisle.
which are eighteen miles apart, with the
Susquehanna river between them. was SO
thoroughly charged with electricity from
the return circuits through the earth of the
trolley lines in Harrisburg that it was pos
slDle 10 operate wire between the two
cities without any battery.
ne Atlantic cables in New York city,
running into the Broad street Office Of the
commercial Company, are affected the
same way. The cables are run up from the
ocean by means of an underground wire
through Long Island. The line runs near
the south Brooklyn trolley line. Inc cauie
began operations that their wires worked
badly. The current would first be very
strong and then very light. An investiga-
tlon showed that the trouble was caused
w
Union cables, which also crosses Long
Island, had been affected in the same way,
and both the Western Union and the Postal
Companies have felt bad effects in every
city in the country where there are trolley
lines.
Il might continue citing cases wherein
the trolley has proved to oe dangerous
nelghDor until book could be filled with
them. 1t Is also declared that the influence
OF these circuits upon systems Of pipes is
very pad. In a western town it is re-
ported that a lead pipe running from
Wen 10 house was out of condition, and
that when 1t was dug up its appearance in
dicated that 1t had been subjected to an
eiectric current powerful enough to cor
rooe II; Inc current unquestionably came
from the return circuit through the earth
OF trolley road system in the vicinity
ana 1t was suggested that if this effect was
common 1t might result not only in de-
lead poisoning. Electricians do not regard
the danger from this source as very seri-
Gus, however. l merely mention it as
among the possibilities. But that gas and
water pipes may become charged with
electrlclty by this means there seems to be
no doubt. An interesting chapter on troll
ley wires and their relation with other
lines might easily be written from a fire.
man point OF view. particularly trouble
some tire has less terrors for them than a
broken trolley wire.
Lightning and Trolley Wires.
MANY electricians will contend that light
ming Is not drawn to a trolley WIRE and
that about the safest place to occupy dur
Ing storm is a trolley car How l wish
one Of these believers would have been on
an lexington car with me in the early part
Of the past summer during a storm of con.
siderable electrical display. There were
about dozen Of us all told. and as we
reached the vicinity Of the junction where
the road branches OF to Glenwood the
storm had about reached its height. The
lightning was simply terrific and all OF a
sudden 1t seemed as II the car was a mass
OF flame. Back and forth darted balls of
fire near the roof Of the car, and / am
positive that had we not all stopped down
ana Tusned from the car several would
nave been seriously II not fatally hurt. Ii
stands to reason that a wire carving the
force Of electricity a trolley does is magnet
enough to attract a bolt OF lightning from
considerable distance.
1.-The last big storm we had here PLAYED
havoc with the trolley systems of Pennsyl-
vania and New Jersey. For several hours
the power had to be closed down and the
reported that while waiting for power. with
the trolley on the wire, a sudden flash of
lightning Illuminated the incandescent
lamps IN the car and sent the car forward
trio stroke passed down through the trolley
arm into the motors and made them spin
along the tracks. The motorman and sew
eral OF the passengers were shocked Sc
Vereiy ana suffered for several minutes as
a result OF their thrilling experience
Every now and then one hears Of a new
electrical discovery whereby telegraph or
telephone connection is established between
| certain points without the use of a wire
with the information comes the statement
tnat the discoverer is going to have his
IDEAS patented. Then no more is heard Of
the great discoery. the patent cffice no
doubt, telling the would-be patentee to in
vestigate the neighborhood and ascertain
! trolley road is not in the vicinity. As
they hear no more Of it. 1t is rafe
guess to make that they found the trolley.
Likewise man in Ohio male public the
fact that he could operate a wire without
the use OF batteries of any kind He demon
s,rateo 70 number Of capitalists that his
plan was successful, and of considerable
economic advantage. They came on to
Washington brimful of their great discoy-
cry, but. as In the other case, the patent
hundred degrees by telling them to ascer-
tain II there was not a trolley line in the
neighborhood Of where their experiments
| nad been held They never came back
Boy and His Hose.
Il might as we'll round out this inter
view' said the electrician, by telling YOU
| of a humorous occurrence that came under
my notice IN Baltimore during a recent
visit to that city. in which the trolley wire
played an important part. and at least one
boy living along the line of the 'cross-town'
| road knows more about electricity than he
| did. and so does his father The boy had
| out sprinkling hose and was wetting
down the street. the pavement and the
neighboring doorsteps His father came
out. lighted a cigar and sat down on the
| steps to see his boy do his work. After
| wetting everything in sight, the boy looked
| around for new worlds to conquer Sud-
| denly he glanced upward and his eyes rest
ed on the shining trolley wire which stretch
| ed away in the distance. 1t looked rather
| hot, and he concluded to sprinkle ii as an
| evidence of good faith. Without consulting
his father, he turned the hose on the troll
| ley wire and struck 1t fair with a nice,
plump stream Of water. while he held the
| nozzle OF the hose the better to direct the
| stream.
| Then the boy was struck by the current
| of electricity which flew down the stream
to meet him. He dropped to the sidewalk
| like shot, but still held on to the nozzle
| The water was turned on his father, and he
| too was shocked, but finally the latter pull
| ed himself together and yanked the boy out
| Of further trouble. 1t was a narrow es-
| cape for both, but the contortions the father
| and son went through made the crowd OF
| onlookers howl with laughter"
| The JestinG Painter and the Starving
| TOilers.
| From Puck.
.1eo3 NJ