The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-08-20

II . charter is to be granted for
an electric street railway In Homo.
lulu, stringent conditions should be
attached to II against danger to
other property. Investigations else
where have revealed that the cleo.
trio current for car motors Is o
source Of serious damage to water
pipes aud other metal work under
ground. Papers read before the
National Electric Association and
before the American Institute Of
Electric Engineers, at their conven-
tions this year, gave important par.
ticulsrs OF electrolytic action by
street railway currents upon water
pipes aud gas pipes. Instances were
also given OF the same destructive
action In light aud power currents
from improper wiring. 1T was this
action, and none other, which com.
PEELED the entire rewriting OF III.
Hotel del Coronado ut Coronado,
several years ago, at . cost Of
nearly $1,000" An explanation
OF the reason for the danger in street
railway currents, showing that IL il
not unavoidable, Is given by one Of
the expert essayists. 1t is generally
known that 10 telegraph systems the
current is conducted one way on q
wire, while il il left to get back for
completion Of the circuit through
the earth. At each end Of a line the
wire is grounded, that is, attached
70 metal plate under the ground.
This discovery saved telegraph own.
ers half the wire that would other.
wise have been required to establish
telegraphic communication between
two points. From one OF the papers
mentioned the following extract is
taken, showing that the danger from
railway currents consists in their
great strength:
Experience has taught electrical
engineers, however, that while this
is true in telegraphy II is by no
means the case in handling the
enormous quantity or volume OF
current which IL used in the opera
ton Of an extensive elect rio railway
system. Regardless Of this, how.
ever, and purely FROM motives Of
economy alone, electric railway com.
psnies, in order TO avoid the 10
creased expenditure OF money which
would be called for to provide for
the additional copper required, will
persist in permitting the return cur.
rent to be diverted of from the car
rails and return wires into the earth.
Elsctrolysis then invariably on
sues, and its corrosive action on
underground metal work, though
slow, is absolutely certain. A cur
rent following along the water
mains, for Instance, reaches the
point nearest the station, or reaches
the points nearest to pat his Of least
resistance, for the return OF the cur.
rent to the dynamo corrodes the
water mains at such points, as GER
tsinly as nitric acid will corrode
them. The importance OF the mat
ter to the public at large is obvious,
Imagine, for instance, tho cleo
trolytic corrosion aud destruction
OF the water main carrying the
water supply to any portion OF our
city. That portion would then he
practically without water. Should
. conaagration then occur it would
have unrestricted sway. Should it
he gas main which is Affected,
whether under the surface OF q
street or in a building, the electri.
city in addition to iiberating the
gas might light it. What the re-
suit would undoubtedly be may
easily be imagined These inst ances
have occurred and may recur
1t Is unnecessary to quote furi her
from these scientific demons, rations.
Enough has been given to show that
the Government will have n grave
responsibility upon it, in the grant
ing Of any franchise for electric
railways, for protecting public and
private property against the dangers
mentioned. Whoever may get such
q franchise must be compelled to
keep the powerful agent Of locomo-
tion strictly TO its own purpose, by
means that electric science has re.
vsaled, no matter what the expense
may DO to the railway owners.