The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1894-12-21
RAT FORMED A CIRCUIT.
Disastrous Results Of q godeut's Pr~-~l
iU n switch Eoayt.

Disastrous Results Of q Eodent's Pr~>~nee
iH a switch EoaTd.
4 rat-just one ordinary rat-cxIin-
guisled every incaHdPSceni electric light
, in large number Of buildings IN the
central part of Baltimore THANKSGIVING
night, set fire To the switeis Board In the
Brush electric light works. mashed up
the switch board, ruined Iot Of wire and
CAUSED dauIage that viii cost many
| dollars to- repair.
| What the unhappy rat hal dome was
| simply 10 step from Oh" brass terminal
| To another of an entire: s-r@ui; Of lights.
| thus making u .'pnn-ciion. or forming 4
| circuit. Each "Hr If the brass fixtures
/ Was runnetted with two wirp-- charged
with opposite kind. Of eIa,.rr .-itg. or.
speaking mere sr,rrs city. H. yiny y ,siffEr-
! ence of potential. Thus stn.i the r:t1. his
| front feet on ellr braS.i fxrrr;.. hi-- hint
| feet ON the ether. The. ms! Inf hiS frunr
! feet totf~h.-I the brass 17fr, vJfr< nf eip,--
,ri,.ity passed through his body. +t.ffi.-:enf
The rat was wet and the hair wa~ burned
| completely off. and the Is,dy bee-:rrn..
| rigid. as if suddenly frnzen in the act If
| stepping across from one brass pierre tG
another. The remains Of rfr Ittier ariufaI
! are preserve AT the works. -iithDrf.h ffis
hair is burned off, and even rhe skull tarne
/ is pfofruding he body being instantly
carbon;zed and rigid its atiitu,fe is ex-
| actIy that of Il rat stepping across Z small
| cavity. so Hfel kr i rhs. artitu.le of fas.
| rat; IS its body rs->t.ri. in standing prs
/ ton, on one of the marfIinc- at the works
yesterday. that 1T z little distance on.
would think it liv" rat in the act of
| jumping.
! The connection mL'i,- tsetwee-rH .Itp iwn
Z; terminals by th,. riit M. Dfti-r r.,s;!IIS
| than breaking iIIsuIfinc I!are ag.I
! setting E" I" tn" woodwork II ais,
short c'irruitet all tn" twin wires: that
is. those carrying tn" tw., IDS "f .-,-,.
! tricity all ar"un | II" '-lrru.r. hrynn.I ur
'.abrv-' tn, I,!'rr- that b. ",s!I1ls---,-!
! them. When '",f.1r--riru Ik.. that i
| made It ha- tcnr;rIl"y :" rim M, AMI
make the electricity jump fr,,m wiz, =.
| wires hat Is what OCCUPIED when TN.
| rat died. The moment be -,,liii.,.te, ri,,.
| two wires thu connection cont mel H..
the wires. making a sheet nf flame from,
wire to wire FIR six or eight f.~t, is.ril
| ing off the ruf!,er insulating nI~-4ri:l ~
10th wires, and lea:;ne fll.- wre> =
posed. The reason that th~ lights er,,.I.i
not be lighted after the rat hat! boy.
| taken off was tina; the electricity ha- i
way Of jumping from wire :" WIRE: In
! is. making III" circuit thrr'u=:l the air l,y
sparks. if Il ever begins such cIp-rs
| Having once foun'i the rpal through IL.
air. the spark viii repeat th. jump. AMI
! thus every On" "f Ri" wrt-S "a rn.,r
switch buaru! haul I" !"- ';tkrn ont and
new ones Int III bef"r" h" .:rr-ri .-nl!,!
! be worked.
T.. +. Baker of thu. Rr;i-Fl c,,1,Iu5v
was very nll'rh interested =, the aus. -
the accident, anal sail y.-~rrr lay that he
had never sten a similar on. II z. pl-
Wis of the NtSt:nChou~, t..re,rr is. ,-ofr-
pany. who arrive" in tn" ,-:fy y..~ter,lay
morning from Pr >j:ur= was also much
interested AMI =a;'l that h" hal n"v.r
! hear! of anything like it E,gfnra