The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-06-14
ECLEcTRlCatY NO EXCEPTION.

Dangers Attend Ita Use just in the
Case ef Other Agencies.
Ever since electricity left its expert
mental stage in the laboratory and be-
came a possible source Of energy and
power to man in advancing the com
mercial progress OF tho arts and sci
ences, the questions OF the dangers to
life and property have been brought
prominently before the public just as
the dangers attending the use of steam,
of rapid locomotion on railroads, of il
Illuminating gas and OF dynamite we're
brought to the attention OF the world,
when these powerful agencies passed
through their infancy a->,l entered into
the active service Of man In each in
stance there was aly.a-s a class who
took the partial or nCr4oVf view taat If
the new agency were dangerous ii should
be excluded from tha public, or if ad-
mitted, it should be l,:-:-:pcred by such
limitations and c--cll-si -; rs to render
1T almost useless for f,ga ical purposes,
as well as to rct,rtl i;s future PROGRESS
and advancement. /. j. e;,:} t,l,-S upon
the introduction Cf st.:la IL L2-l2nd
laws were passed liI1it.-,..rc the pressure
to thirty porr7c [, t. s+~ilSN i-Hch.
Passengers were :. -vC..t isas II tho
t'high rate of speed ci (y..,,7 rlu@s ls>I
hour; the suggestion Ct <;>i,'. : i-2ilc is,'r
hour was considered ri,i i'y,!,.':S, II j .llr-
nal of that time stating t.:;.t ti.> I's pic
would as soon be shot oUt o. :. e;cl:.on
rs to travel at such u ''l.irll rate IF vc-
locity," it being considered detrimental
to respiration and the vital parts Cf the
body. Great excitement occurred
through the daily press When ',yil;:-
mite was first intro, seed not
long ago, stringent laws bc.-.f
PASSED in regard to its storage ="
transportation, result cf ;:ttc::.l,t =
20 evade which caused many tl,-rc ii <
and dangers by carrying acd i.cu: :! {, it
in everyday and unsuspostc-l Pc cs-
All manner Of objections were brought
against the introduction of gas as an
illuminant, such as explosion, irll>T-ity
of air by combustion and suffocation.
Nearly everyone remembers. wl.ca the
arc lights appeared in New Yc-.l oity,
Of the startling account in the papers of
dames issuing from the body of a horse
that had accidentally come in contact
with one of the light wires.
All the old matters, however, have
settled themselves with the laws of uni
versal progress and the diffusion OF
knowledge, and we now find fewer acci-
dents with steam pressure of one to two
hundred pounds than with thirty then,
and fewer accidents also with :.iz.ty to
eighty miles per hour passenger travel
ing, considering the increase in the
number carried, and fewer fires from
gas than from candles or oil. Elcc-
fricity thinks we may conclude then
that the power or danger Of ony new
form of energy should not, and will not,
Haebar it fr n universal adoption, that
being only L question of time. Intelli-
gently managed and controlled, the
most powerful and otherwise dangerous
agency may be turned into mans best
and most efficient servant. Thus, in
dealing with the problems concerning
the generation and distribution of the
electric current, it should not be re-
stricted by unintelligent legislation,
limiting or fixing certain voltages,
quantities, insulation, etc., but rather
Ehe aim should be to perfect means by
which its full force may be realized,
fostering its growth into higher
range of intensity and usefulness and
Ehus to increase its efficiency.