New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-17
LEAKAGE OF ELECTRICITY.
MR. RARNEs's REPORT WARNS AGAINST
DANGERS OF ELECTROLYSIS-WH
OTHER ENGINEERS SAY.

The question OF the existence of eleetroysis IN
various rarts Of New-York City as a result OF the
leakage Of electric current from the Brooklyn
RAND Transit system has again been brought up
IN an interesting way by the report OF an IN
yesttgation on the subject made by Charles Is.
Rsrnes OF Rochester y. Y, the electrical expert
Of the State Board Of Railroad commissioners. IL
has been knewn for some time that there Is a DIX
leakage OF electrical current from the brooklS"
trolley lines and that since the cars have been
run over the Brooklyn Bridge the leakage has been
especially large from that stru,ture Several en-
gineer. have stated from time to time that TINS
leakage was also resulting IN widespread eiect'oN-
sis which may be simply described 10 the laymah
as the corrosion and eating away OF me'a S"0-
stances by stray electric currents
There have also been engineers who held mat
on the contrary. little or no electrolyss was pro-
duced ny the leakage II Is easy to see what a
tremendous and overwhelming effect would ne pro
duced by electrolysis Of any great potency. Inc
water mains and sewer pipes, the rails OF tne no.
ley and elevated lines the big anchors OF '"e
Rrooklyn Bridge and the elevated railroad sTuc-
lures themselves would all be fair prey Tor the
corrosive influence and might be seriously an"
even dangerously injured IN tme. II was inns
possibilitv which induced the State Hoard OF h"l-
road Commissioners - instruct Mr. Barnes ia7'
January 70 make careful Investigation INTO '''7
matter This Mr. Barnes did through last sP'i"s
and summer and the engineers 81 the Manhattan
Elevated Railway Company dd the same thing IN
denerdently during the same months. Apparently
two widely different opinions were fofheu llo'"
the two Investigations
Mr. Barnes has written hts report. and in X ne
describes the olectroysis as being present IN d
dangerous amount lie points out that where the
great trolley system @, Brooklyn oonverses AZ the
Prooklvn Bridge and runs across 10 Manhattan
there Is also great leakage OF electric current
which can Re traced from the kent-aVe' power
house 10 the Bridge. from there across the brloge
and thence on the Manhattan side up the 1"I"-
ave structure Of the Manhattan Railway Oon-
pany to Roosevelt-st Here the current Jumps ~
the earth he SAYS and IS carried down Roosevelt
.t 70 The Fast River and across the river to the
Kent-sve power house again. thus making com
plete circuit Al the close Of his report MI
Barnes recommends
That the Manhattan Railway company ong,,on tbat
atey Put ther struc'upe IN to other conductors
in the ground more than one VoIt' ana 'i'a' '''S
condition be maintained.
H. saws that he has also discovered electrolysis
in the Franklin Square elevated station. and wheh
Il is said that two or three persons have declared
that they have felt electric shocks from the rail-
ing Of the CITY Hall elevated station while stand
ing on the platform there 1t will be seen 'hat
discovery OF large amount Of electroysis ought 10
have rather a startling effect
Two or three prominent engineers OF tnis CITY
who were asked about the matter by Tribune re-
been great overestimate and pooh-poohed the ioea
that eectrolysis was present 10 even a noucean4e
extent George II. Pegram, chief engineer OF t 1he
Manhattan Hallway Company spoke OF me iq qeo
that engineers employed BY the company mao aIso
made careful Investigations In the matter re-
Gently. . 49, p-,dgo .,
he said ''but that has been known Tor ons UNI I'm
ANYHOW and as for electrOysis there Is marc
~ any there at ali. We could not discover place
on any part of our equipment whch mao r uVT,i
oorroded. and this was after most careful
search -. ,,...a -ooo-o WAN
Are YOU going TO follow Mr.. Barnes reconmeh-
dalton 90 asked the reporter
Well, now suppose your neighhors gas ST. sa aaE
leaked - said Mr.. Pegram. and the gas escape
into your house Would you feel II your duty 70
seal Theoretically your house so that the lnTaleSS
would not be asphyxated? OF course not \ on q
make your neighbor Ak his gas tank mats 81 me
Uev II is here Let the people responsible lOr Il
ston this electric leakage Then We Won re-
ceive H. There Is nothing for US 10 90 about y.
Another well known engineer SAID that me eIeC-
trovsis Judging from its present insgnihcant pow,
err could do no harm in a hundred years. ana
added that ordinary rust from the weather was q
greater source Il injury.