The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-17
Street Letter Box Charged
With Electricity.
It is Fed by Heavily Charged
Overhead Wires. (
Peculiar Experience of Several Per-
sons Who Used the Box.

Drop letter into the slot and get q
shock. That is what a great many people
have been doing at the corner of Wash
ington and Union streets recently, ac-
cording to those who ought to know, and
by the same token two people who have
taken the letters out OF the box the slot
opens into have received similar shocks.
The box referred to Is a United States let
ter box attached to a pole on the corner
of the streets named. The pole supports
several high tension electric light wires
and a mast arm, at the end OF which is
an electric light. During the past eight
or 10 evenings, after the current has been
sent through the twin wires which feed
the electric light mentioned, people who
have come In contact with the letter box
have received electric shocks which may
not have been 30 serious in themselves as
dangerous to persons of sensitive
nervous organisms. In some cases, how
ever, the would-be depositors Of letters
or perhaps valentines, have beeu forci-
bly, thrown against the rail fence which
encloses the lot on the corner and back OF
the electric light pole. Druggist X. j..
Reeves, who has been located on the OPP
posite corner for two months or SO, has
noticed the effect of the shocks from time
to time and has notified the Iolicc, as
we'll ss the postotfice authorities. He
says that during the past eight nights,
including last Saturday, he has seen a
great many people,, comparatively speak
log, run up against this letter box and
Ia every instance an electric shock of more
or less consequences resulted. Among
others there have bsen two letter ~ctrriers
and his W CLERK, Joseph Smith, re-
ceived such a shock the other night that
he reported the matter 10 the police.
As result, Policeman
Feeney and George 2 Waterman
have protected the public each night by
covering the letter box with a wooden
box obtained from Mr.. Reeves. .WheuIt
rained so hard last Thursday evening a
young lady was severely shocked and
saturday night, 1t is stated, a man was
thrown down. The apothecary has taken
especial pains to warn all purchasers Of
stamps not to use that box.
Assistant Postmaster Walker says that
he had received a telephone communion
tion about a week ago, n rainy night,
that the box was chsrged, but he supposed
that ii was not serious and was due to
the weather. Upon learning the circum-
stnces he said the box should be removed
at once.
As to the question Of liability, in case
of a supersensitive nature being shocked
unto death by contact with the letter box
the assistant postmaster said the govern
ment never asked permission to put their
boxes anywhere but put them where they
saw fit. He also asked il there was not as
much danger from contact with the pole
or any iron work on the pole,
The telephone People said they were
out of IL, but they were sure the pole in
question was a green one, which would
be apt to transmit current II there was a
leak anywhere.
The electric light people were communi-
Gated with, but knew nothing about it,
but they were willing TO learn.
1t is said that the trouble lies In poor
insulation Of the twin wires in the mast
arm.