The Press., 1897-09-16
(Hartford Courant.) THIRD-RAIL ADVENTURES.


 The "thlrd rail" electric system has been in daily use now between New Bri- tain and Hartford ever since the middle of May. During all this time not one of the tens of thousands of passengers carried by this route has been killed or seriously injured. There was one slight collision at the Newington turnout, but no one was hurt. For the rest the passengers have had no further discomforts than to see occasionally an accident such as happens in the stupidity of man to every sort of train. Shut in a close car the passenger doesn't see; in the open he takes in all that happens and his wonder Is that, while so many people tempt Providence, 80 few get the damages they are entitled to. Two men have been struck and killed by third rail cars, which do not turn out any more than steam cars do for people on the track one pair of horses driven right In front of a car was killed and also one COW. That Is about the record of the cars themselves.
 But the great danger of this system was supposed to be in the third rail itself That great strip of iron reaching from the power house at Berlin to the station at New Britain, and again from New Brit- ain to Hartford, Is charged with electricity enough to keep all the cars In motion and many more than do go. It is "alive" all its length, and the extent of danger that lies in 1t has not been known and certain ly has not been underestimated. So far however, it hasn't killed anybody. The car, which Is like any other car, has all ready killed several people; the rail, alive all the time through its thirteen miles of length, and unlike any other, hasn't. It did kill horse whose master drove him between the tracks. The animal fell across both rails and was burned to death. The most serious accident caused by the rail to any person was when young girl at Newington, as already reported, fell while crossing the track and lay at once upon the traction rail and the live rail. She was scared and burnt, but her companions pulled her away and now she Is as lively and we'll as any of her friends. There have been good many other evi- dences of the power of the rail, not all of them printed at the time, which tend to warn people away, yet which do not indl- cate that the current isknecessarily fatal to man. A tramp jumped from freight train ner Sigourney street in this city and sprawled over upon the New England tracks. When he etruck the electric rail 1t threw him right up in the air. He gathered himself together and told the gate tender that he was not going to try that again. One of the section hands reached across the live rail for an iron tramping rod. He drew 1t toward him as he stood by the wheel-rail and forgot to lift 1t. When 1t struck the live rail the electric current ran right through him. He gave leap or else was thrown down the embankment. He climbed up later, we'll scared but not hurt He dropped the tamping bar at the moment of the shock and 1t fell across both rails. In about minute 1t was burned in two!
 The queerest and most remarkable evi. dence of the power of the current was this: The section men are not afraid oi the live rail. It Is safe unless they also touch the other rail. One man whose leg was touching the third rail reached over to pick up bolt. He never picked 1t up. It picked itsels up, and jumped right into his hand. When his hand was pretty near the bolt, that bit of metal left the ground and went to meet the hand
 While no man has been hurt, several large dogs have walked to death by trying to step on the third rail and also on one of the others. When their bodies com. plete the circuit, there's 8 squeal and 6 jump and dead dog. Any creature car cross safely unless the other rail is also hit. Hence snake can crawl over the charged rail if 1t does not happen to be long enough to touch the track also There have been two snakes found dead
 
 wriggle over while car was waiting or the side track at Newington, and the pas. sengers witnessed the execution. Il squirmed along easily over the first track and then mounted the next with it's tai still on the first. Suddenly the snake arched up into the air in graceful shape and then 1t fell down dead.
 The electricity sticks by the rail in g persistent fashion in spite of temptations to wander. Water is notoriously an easy conductor. During one of the heavy July rains there was water eighteen inches deep on the track in one spot for con siderable distance, but the power stil staid in the rail and the car made its triI without inconvenience. There Is almos no limit to the speed the third rail car develop. Seventy miles an hour Is rat' reached without any difficulty.
 I The only really haDny animal ia a goat