The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-07
ELECTRICITY AS A PUBLIC ENEMY.

AIMING the many words OF comparatively
recent origin, which have grown out Of
electrical discoveries, is .'electrolysis." 1t
means the chemical decomposition of a
substance by electricity as of metals, water,
etc. and while it is exceedingly useful and
valuable in some respects it is injurious in
| others. Indeed, it is worthy of remark that
many modern discoveries, beneficial as they
are in the main, carry with them some
| drawbacks and even dangers. Petroleum, in
its various combustible and explosive
| forms; natural gas, almost odorless, but
dangerous; electricity, subtle, uncontrolla-
BILE and almost vicious in some of its oper-
ations, are Illustrations The telephone, cleo
trio lights and other applications of cleo
tricity have become indispensable features
of modern life, yet they materially increase
the danger of fires, and scarcely a day
passes that we do not read of a fatal acct
dent in some city from contact with live
wire Electricity has its way of rebelling
against being harnessed. 1t is always ready
to assume the aggressive, if a chance Of
fers, and it's strike is as deadly as it is
sudden.
Electrolysis has many useful applications
in the arts, but it is an enemy to certain
kinds of public improvements. Engineers
are beginning to discover that it is playing
havoc with the gas, water and sewer mains
of large cities, and scientists say it is doing
untold damage to magnetic scientific in
struments. Noiseless and insidious in it's
operations, it is none the less destructive
decomposing and eating away iron and
steel pipes and paralyz'ng or neutralizing
magnetic instruments wherever they come
within it's influence. 1t emanates from cleo
trio railroads which are operated with but
a single trolley wire, the return current
being sent back to the dynamos through
that greatest of all conductors, the earth.
The current thus being transmitted along
the line of steel rails branches out in all
directions. 1t comes in contact with metallic
pipes and all articles composed of materials
that will attract electricity, and by constant
action it decomposes them. In the language
Of the street it goes for them and, it gets
there. The pipes which 1t attacks, water,
gas, sewer or other, are gradually decom-
posed until in some weak spot they burst.
Before the era of electric railways electro
lysis had only beneficial uses but now it is
most dangerous enemy. BY the return
currents of electricity in cities which are
| traversed in all directions by trolley lines
the earth is charged with electric currents,
running wild in all directions and preying
upon every bit of steel or iron pipe that
comes within their reach. In this way these
pipes are being constantly decomposed and
unless science shall discover some means
of preventing it the process will continue.
Another injurious operation of electrolyss
is upon magnetic instruments, thus inter
fering with experiments and observations.
Those used in the Naval Observatory at
Washington are placed under the earth in
subterranean chamber to free them as
| much as possible from all outside influence.
Yet even there they are seriously affected
by the currents emanating from the cleo
trio railroads.&c. seriously that Commander
Davis, in charge of the observatory, re-
Gently stated that a series of important OBJ
servations which his assistants had been
making had been rendered utterly worth
less by the interference of wild electric cur
rents. Thus it appears that electricity
which is so useful in many respects is
| capable of doing great harm to public i'm
provements and scientific experiments. 1t is
faithful servant of man when confined,
but when it gets loose it plays the mischief.