The Progress., 1896-08-06
ELECTnlCITY IS SAFE
INVENTOR POPE'S UNTIMELY DEATH
SETS EXPERTS TALKING.

INVENTOR POPE'S UNTIMELY DEATH
SETS EXPERTS TALKING.
Mr.. Pope Was a Fine Electrician and
Would Not Knowingly Have Put Him
self In Danger-The First Scientific Man
to Die In Such q Manner.
Tho accidental killing of Franklin
Leonard Pope, the electrician, at his home
In Pittsfeld, Mass, has recently been dis
oussed widely by electricians and by ev-
erybOdy else interested in the science. MIR.
Pope was one of the best informed men In
electrical matters in America. He was the
first scientific man of prominence in years
to meet his death in such manner.
Despite the talk about the deadliness OF
the electric currents, statistics show that
proportionately fewer persons are killed by
it than by steam or gas or any other OF the
great forces, and experts declare it to be
one of tho safest rather than one of the
deadliest forces.
The story of Mr.. Pope's death was that
he had gone into his cellar to examine q
large converter he had there and few
minutes afterward he was heard to fall
and was found dead OH the floor beside the
device There was no explanation OF how
he had come in contact with the current
| that caused his death, nor was it ex-
planned how he could have come in contact
with the current.
| A transformer, or, as it is also called, a
converter is an inverted Ruhmkortf in
/ duotion coil employed in systems of cleo
triCal distribution where high tension al
ternating currents are used. It consists Of
! two coils of wire, wound usually in the
ratio of 90 to 1 A current of an Intensity
of 1000 or more volts passing into one
wire produces in the other wire by Undue
ton current of 20 times the quantity,
but of only one-twentieth part of the volt
age. The street wire carries the current OF
greater voltage and the house wire the
one of greatest quantity. In all Of the re-
cent makes of converters it is impossible
for q person to come in contact with the
high tension current. There are various
devices to prevent the escape of the our
rent of high voltage, even when there is
a fault in the converter or break any
where in the insulation. Some of the old
COnverters are not as safe.
Without some of the later devices cross
of the wires sends the current of high volt
age into the iron covering of the converter,
and person touching this, if he stands OF
the ground, would receive the full force OF
the current and be killed instantly.
Mr.. George H. Benjamin, discussing
Mr.. Pope's death, said: at is evident he
was q victim of misplaced confidence in
the machine he was handling. He was &
man of too great knowledge and ability to
make any mistake that could have result
ed in his death. Whatever was the matter,
he could not have known the cause, and
he touched unwittingly some part of the
converter that contained the current. Mr..
Pope was big man and was therefore
easier killed than smaller man would
have been Had he received immediate at
tention from persons who knew exactly
what to do in case of electric shock, his
life would probably have been resuscitated.
Resuscitation is possible and not uncom-
mon in such cases, but the work must be-
gin at once. Any delay at all may be fatal
In Mr. Pop, S death the scientific world
loses one of it's greatest men. No one will
question the assertion, think, that he was
the ablest man in his speciality in the
world, and by his writings he has added
more 20 the knowledge of tho science than
any other man. He was not great in
ventor-that is to say, he was not the orig
inator of many of the inventions of the
age-but he developed II great many in
ventions. Few understand what mean
People would come to him with an idea
and he would straighten it out and develop
it and improve it. In that sense he was 6
great inventor. His knowledge made him
the ablest expert, but his honesty made
him poor witness.
''He was employed as an expert in many
cases, but he was seldom put on the stand
He has BEEN connected in one way or an
other with all the large enterprises of late
years. He was man whose opinion was
valued above all Others"
Referring again to the possibilities OF
oNSiNtItai uUutii ny 'iVJtIISltS, WI. l'OiJU
min said: "The alternating current is the
only current now used in commercial bust
ness. 1t is The practicable current. But
there is no patent on it. and since its in
PRODUCTION small concerns have sprung uI
i'll all parts of the country which make
the machinery. Some of it is badly made
Some is made Of poor material. YOU
know il you build tank to hold watel
and use pine to do it with, the probability
is that in time that tank will leak. The
water will run out. That's the way witt
a converter. II it is not made exactly
right, or if it is made Of anything but thu
best material, in time 1t will leak, ant
then 1t becomes a most dangerous piece o.
furniture. think know the make of thu
converter that was in Mr.. Pope's house
and if it is the one have every reason tt
believe it is, 1t is not considered by expert:
first class converter and very likely thi!
Is the explanation Of Mr.. Pope's death. "
New York sun.