St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-10-26
HANDLING ELECTRIC WIRES.

Heavily charged electrical wires
can be safely and easily handled"
said an experienced electrician con-
nected with one of the large COM
oanies in this city, in conversation
this morning regarding the fear that
prevails in the minds of most people
Of any kind of an electric wire that
Is not insulated. This statement
was suggested by the accident at
Newton last night, man being kill
ed by the current passing through
wire that had been partially blown
down by the storm, and was swing
mo across a street. mo one need
fear to handle the most dangerous
wires in use, if the simplest precau-
tons are observed" he continued,
and it is difficult to conceive of any
emergency when the very best of APP
planes for removing or caring for a
i've wire are not at hand. Why if
il were a case of life or death, and it
we're necessary to remove wire
that was burning into the vltals Of
person, if | had nothing better at
hand, would take up handful Of
dirt and seize the wire in such a
manner that the dirt would keep the
wire from coming in contact with
nv hand. Mind! would not
counsel anyone else to do so, for
there would be a great risk. The
removal of the wire would have to
be instantaneous, and there would
be danger of the dirt's not cover
ing the palm of the hand completely,
and thus allowing fatal contact.
But would not hesitate to do so.
I should want the dirt to be dry,
however. There is nothing better
nor more convenient for this pur-
pose than the coat one has on his
back. There is not wire in use in
Boston that cannot be handled with
out the slightest risk with a piece OF
cloth. 1t is almost as good a non
conductor as rubber, and coat is
really better than rubber gloves, as
they are thin and the wire will burn
through them more quickly than it
would through several thicknesses OF
a coat. Indeed, rubber is not such
a perfect non-conductor as many
people suppose. After our linemen
have been working among the wires
on a wet day, they frequently find
their rubber boots excellent con-
ductors of electricity and an element
of danger instead of protection.
There is nothing safer for removing
wire than a stick, With stick or
piece of board wire can be lifted
from an object and held suspended
while it is being removed, without
danger to the person holding the
stick. In fact, anything that is not
metallic is a perfect safeguard from
an electric current if it is properly
and carefully handled; that is, sc
that the hand is completely removed
from all danger of contact with the
wire. In the use of all these ap
planes there should be no delay, a.
there is always danger, II llucn tilil'
eIapses, of the wires burning
through the article used and thu
coming in contact with the hand
In fact, it is much like handling
hot piece of iron, aud the precautions
TO be observed are much the same
For the want of anything better
newspaper can be used safely il
handling even a heavily charged
wire; but it should be folded a
many times as is practicable, on &C
count of its burning so readily. bu
of all things, anything metals
should be avoided, as that woul'
carry the current instantaneously tt
the hand, and might produce un
pleasant, if not fatal, results. y
Boston Transcript.