Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-01

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
In the issue of The Star of the 10th IN
slant Is an article under the caption of
THE Trolley's New Terror, A Discovery
that has just been made at Philadelphia. -
Underground Metal Pipes Ruined and the
Water and Gas Systems of the City I'm
periled." About two years ago (the 9Th or
1th of January, 1892 think l wrote a let
ter to the District Commissioners waraing
them of this very danger that my knowl-
edge of chemistry and electricity enabled
me to foresee would sooner or later force
itself upon the public attention. In that
letter l pointed out the danger, together
with what l believe to be its cause and
effect. 1t so happened that a gentleman liv-
ing on New York avenue, In front of whose
house the lexington trolley system passed,
mad been having a great deal of trouble
with the water pipe leading from the water
main into the house; the pipe had to be re-
newed three times within the two years
that the electric system had been in oper-
alton. This gentleman had made a COM
plant to the District Commissioners, call
ing their attention to the fact above stated
and stating ii his belief that the electric
current from the trolley system was, in
some manner unknown to him, responsible
for the mischief. My letter calling atten-
ton to the dangers lurking in the electrical
currents. and the gentleman's complaint of
the damage already sustained thereby, fol-
lowing close upon each other, very naturally
attracted the attention of the board of Dis
trict Commissioners, who referred the mat
ter to Capt. RoSSell, then Engineer Com
missioner. for further investigation A few
days after the receipt of my letter l re-
ceived a cOmMunica ton from CAPT Rossell
saying that the matter had been referred to
him: that he had been very much struck
with the theories l had advanced. especially
as they had followed so closely upon the
New York avenue mans practical COM
theories ly
so fully calculated and he pulled out from
under table section of about four feet
of the pipe that had been destroyed by the
electrical action. saying as he did SO that he
had secured that piece of pipe in order to
see If the action of the electrical current
had been such as / had surmised, and that
apparently my views were confirmed. After
considerable conversation this subject
the captain said that he would get the Dis
trict chemist and the Smithsonian electri-
clan to examine into the matter fully, and
also that he would communicate with IL e
authorities in Boston. New York, Brook
lyn and other cities where the trolley had
obtained a considerable footing in order to
see II the same damage to underground
pipes had been discovered elsewhere and
that when he received replies from the sew
eral places he would let me know and he
would be glad to have me call when l heard
from him. Some little time after / called
upon the captain again q can't recall posi-
lively if it was in response to postal I
received from him, but l think it was)
when he said that he had received a report
from the District chemist and Smithsonian
electrician. and that it fully confirmed nv
theories: he also said that he had received
reports from the cities he had sent inquiries
to. and that the damage to pipes had been
noticed in Boston and Brooklyn, hut not
in New York, and asked me If I could offer
any probable explana ton of New York's
apparent immunity from this source of
danger. ] replied that 1t was probably be-
cause New York was a compa "a lively small
island completely surrounded by salt water
and. salt water is well known to be a
good conductor of electricity. the escaping
electric currents were in all proba biIity
dissipated so rapidly as to prevent any very
injurious action to the underground pipes
fully aware of the dangers attending these
escaping electrical currents and impressed
me as being very determined to sift the
whole subject thoroughly. when Just as
was expecting some very lively times among
the trolley people, alack and alas the news
came like thunderbolt from a cloudless
sky that the captain had been offered and
would probably accept Gas he did the vice
presidency of the Thomson-Houston EIec-
trio Manufa curing Company, the leading
manufacturers of trolley electrical supplies
In view of these facts it can hardly be
said that this discovery is entirely new; that
the matter may have been suppressed by
interested parties. / have no doubt that NV
letter is yet on file at the District building
as. in company with friend, called it up
last winter, and after he had read it, II was
again put among the archives In our pres
ence. w. s. BRANSOM,
Forestville. Prince Georges County, Md.