The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-06
Rat killing by Electricity.
From the Kansas City Star.


Electricity is really becoming very use
| full thing in its way. The electrical sup
ply house in Kansas City is using it to kill
its rats. The basement of the house is in
Tested with rodents which have little re-
spect for property and eat the insulating
material OFF wires and the fatty substances
about the electrical machines for dessert,
| One noon recently one of the men went to
| take down his lunch basket which was
hanging on a nail against the hall He
felt his lunch become very much agitated
and 1t jumped around in the basket amaZ-
lngly. Lifting the lid of the basket large
brown rat with gray whiskers jumped out,
carrying the mans lunch away in his in
terror The rat had climbed up to ths
basket in some unaccountable manner and
having eaten hole in the bottom, crawl
ed in and ate the lunch at his leisure,
becoming so full that it couldn't get out
OF the hole and too satisfied to eat the
hole larger.
But the rats trick proved its own undo
ing. The man was so angry at losing his
lunch that he determined thenceforth to
catch that rat and all his family. So he
bought steel trap and after batting Il
with cheese hung 1t on the accustomed
nail Before going home that night he
had the pleasure of securing a fine, large
rat that had probably heard from the
Old rat with the gray whiskers Of his meth
cd of securingi a free lunch. The mex:
morning another rat was caught, and
many thereafter, until at last old gray
whiskers was caught himself and then, the
basket being about worn out and having
fulfilled its mission, was thrown away.
But about killing rats by electricity AZ
this electrical establishment ii takes $500
ohms Of electricity and at least three men
to dispatch rat. This is the manner OF
their death When cellar rat is caught
by the paws in steel trap the trap IS
brought upstairs, carefully carried by the
chain at arms length, for a cellar rat VIII
fight and its bite is unwholesome. Inc
electrician then comes forward with mag
netic-beil machine a sort of young dyna-
mo, with resistance of $1,000 ohms, 10
the machine are attached two long insu-
lated wires. ar
The rat is laid on an iron plate A man
takes one wire and applies the uncovered
end to the iron plate. The man VINO y
looking after the rat takes the other why
and pokes the rat with the bare end OF
it. The rat resents this, of course ana
bites at the wire. The man with the ma,
chine grinds lndustrously until the pen
rings, which 1t does when a resistance OF
5000 ohms is reached. The exasperateu
rat bites at the wire and, quicker than you
can say Jack Robinson" he Is deau.
But his taking off has amounted almost
to function.
They also have an electrical method Oh
catching rats i'm the electricians cellal.
A large square plato of iron is placed u.
the floor and above it another plate, nov
so large. and separated from the other'
at the distance of an inch or so, by POI
celain insulators. To each plate Is az
tached wire connected with a dynamo
having a 1000 volt alternating current
On the upper iron plate is scattered 3
ductive luncheon OF bacon rinds, oIu
cheese and tallow. The mouths OF tn9
rats down in the deepest holes begin "
water when the odor of this feast per
meates to them, and they come Hooking "
1t.
When rat steps on the lower plate tne
current has no effect on him, but the IA
slant he puts his paws on the upper plas
to reach for the cheese the full force ~
the electricity reaches every part OF ~
sinewy body, and, contracting II suausn
ly. shoots him into the air In somersauisa,
The other rats observing this, THINK 70
Is jumping for Joy and hasten to the ieas..
One after the other they are shot INTO w
air, and fall to the floor stunned VII
they are easily captured and killed. ~
Il is that science lends itself 20 even ~
humble an occupation as rat killing.