New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-10
RETURN TROLLEY CURRENTS
BROOKLYN PEOPLE FINDING ELECTRIC
ITY IN WATER AND GAS PIPES.

MEN WHO ARE ACCUSTOMED TO HANDLING THE
CURRENTS SAY THEY COME FROM TILE
TROLLEY WIRES - MR. BoGARDus
THINKS OTHERWISE.
Peop,e who are afraid OF electricity have been
considerably worried by reports that currents gen
Grated in the big power houses OF the BROOKLYN
CITY Railroad Company ard used 10 drVe the
,roroy cars were escaping through the return wires
into the ground. and loading water ana gas pipes
and other metallic connections win cohueHSe'
LIGHTNING which was likely to break loose at any
time with far-rcachng and disastrous results. Iha'
some business men in the Eastern District nave
made connections with pipes and are uuIz'ns
current OF electricity to operate smdll Xotve f'ns'
ETC. IS we'll known. and several smM SHOPS are
kent cool BY air driven by these fans
. Co,vc-s,tlon with men who are experts IN hand
uro tho electric current and who know many OF
its tricks and caprices. reveals a EeheFai oiih'''
that a large amount of electricity * apsoroeu pY
the ground through which the return UoI"y N"e
passes from It's connections with the raiis' me
nrlncipal manifestations OF this have been at ana
near tho East River end OF Broadway where the
earth is said To be completely saturated win !"
The natural impulse OF electricity Is 10 IoI'o" 'le
line OF least resistance where circuit II eS'"'-
lished and a wcll-known electrical expert VINO h'S
investigated the matter says that the pipes IN
cellars near the ferries 50 strongly charged
that they are capable Of producing useful results.
or the current were properly tapped SAID me- ~
is powerful enough TO work sewing machines ana
other Hight mechanical apparatus.
Another electrician made the following statement
regarding the escaping current: Gas pipes anu
water pipes certainly contain enough electricity 10
keep I'm motion fans supply power Tor shiH
rch,s When the weather is bad the lights Will pe
Low, and the power weaker than on clear days
When the ground is wet It is a better conductor
than the pipes 1t l. no new thing he continued
ITO utilize this current II has been done on sew
eral occasions in Philadelphia recently.
f. H. Deane superintendent Of the telegraph syS-
ten OF the elevated railroads. says that since the
trolley lines have been In operation H. has utilized
This ESCAPING current. I'VE running our tele-
graph lines on about half the batteries formerly
used Il Is possible for Us TO work our line from
one end to the other with the electricity We secure
from the trolley wires. but # is unreliable. We
have known Of this leakage for some time.
Whether or not this escaping current or accHWu-
lation OF ground current can become ''FoHS '"o"e"
to cause damage is the question whi'h IL Iouo""H
the minds OF those whose knowledge OF e'''''''!
Is limited to tn. fact that {; IS the mysterious
something which IS pumped into 4 wire ana t"'h
keeps tho trolley cars moving. with an i"'ih'hH,
suffering OF green fire, grinding OF "hee's anu
occasional smnsh-up or loss Of hfe.
In order to nnd what the trolley people think
about the question reporter called on ". n ~
Bogarius. the general manager FOR the lt'1h'l,n
cry Railroad Company. Mr hos1i'us va ''
- talk about the case admitted INV ne "a" si
heard the stories - power i"ink ''iAii.,i ~
hitching wires TO water end gas Ii,s' i Inn.is
fans and nsh machncr 3ni dePi'd ann P' e,rrn
that such a thing waS p'sslhr WIN an. ~ ,ti,
watch could escape from tie wires 81 the U''''y
Why" said he. Just mink of !hr cn9rmous
quantity OF electricity which has been dimi"
into the ground IN years pa by ic'r"on" o H.'
telegraph companies an! pfVatc I,"nts ~ =,
the city. Their j.. % doubt. lots ~ "l"tN. y.
The ground ana II eT Sg ,.,,vi, and IAN
motor or something 81 that sort CONNECTED Win
work bus use our current-ph. no. In the first !
place large part Of our current is returned 70
nlng paraiie w4t3 IT, fesi Rlr.s tnc-e tene con-
necfei "A, Intervals with the Ground wires ihi h'
current Is returned ~ ne gfoInl "Hr' n''' ~ |
there is any absorption 90 our cur t'ht if Ut. |
sny apprccia6ie amour, /, wouii hc known 80 oar
power-house. You must know he Continued. 'ihat |
r h an o.'t.n.iS sucking n bach ana another
thing II enough ~ current escaped % run !
our v1ltasr is ~ All frac,5n Of he current has
hat he couli reach would be- malncs,. Ili. ma
chine would 80 o. fragments liAe piece 30 Hi'- |
"ss 70 the elevated roads using only hal, battery
Is usci Thoy may be- abe. a. their iron posts are
sunk ieot, In irc ground TO cooc, the yaErAnt |
electricity which always exists 10 me ground ana
put IL through it.rI.' Tsr f, tn lover FIJI,
lr-st md has been ~ higher potential than The |
out flown ends and the difference between the |
two ends may account for some ~ ihc current, !
zone thing ls sure - my mind ahll NJ. |
Bpgar lug and in this he sustained hy tnl'f !
Engineer starrctt. who had just com" in from |
the Kcnt-avc power-house. THAT 10 cannot b" any |
current OF ours which is running all these fans |
ana things Except an nhnitesimal amount. II all |
comes back 90 the power houses. and f any one |
wants 20 experiment IN that line h. can probably |
do IL In any house IN Inc city "h"r' nc can max"
connectl0nq But our current is too strong - b" |
played Win. and not enough gets away from US
10 be Of any use - any one.
But The people Of Brooklyn doing lot 81 |
thinking about where the current goes 20 we'll |
as where II comes from and the uses II Is put to.