Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1900-09-22


South Brewer. Me-. who proved her
bravery" by scaling fiimsy iron lad.
der leading to the top of II 126-foot
chimney. 1t seems that there was a
standing reward of S. for anyone with
nerve enough to climb to the top of the
chimney. Several men had essayed
the feat, but had given up and descend.
ed after making but half the ascent.
For the sake of demonstrating her
nerve ana winning the 50. together
with the plaudits Of the gaping multi.
tude. this fool In petticOats jeOparlized
her life and accomplished nothing Of
any real merit. BY her daring she
filled no empty stomach and clothed no
naked feet. The world Is full of hero.
ines who would scream ut sight Of n
mouse and who would grow dizzy ut
the top Of n stepladder. but whose will
Ing hands are the support of widowed
mothers or orphaned children. Our
admiration should not be wasted on
brldge.jumpers, on lunntics who ride
bicycles night and day to the last heart
beat, or on steeple.jacks In skirts. Such
foolhardy feats should be frowncd on
rather than applauded.
%6A
This has been called the electric age.
The praises OF the mysterious huid
which now does so much work for man
have been sounded by orators and
poets. Civilization, It Is declared, has
been advanced Il hundred years by har-
Messing the forces of the lightning. Now
come calmer-minded men to paint the
other side of the picture. For, II elec-
tricity has done much to relieve man of
labor and TO make life easier, II Is also
responsible for much destruction both
of life and property. Every new elcc-
tric invention adds one more danger to
the many which now beset the resi-
dents In crowded cities. where such In
ventions are chiefly used. Statistics on
the subject, recently gathered. are fair
ly startling. In the matter of destruc-
ton of property insurance men differ
rs to the exact percentage OF fires
which are caused by the subtle hultk
Some Of them estimate that the cause
of % per cent of all the fires occurring
annually Is electricity, while others be-
licve that 80 per cent would be nearer
the truth. They all agree that the COM
mon use of electric lights ana other
electric appliances has added greatly tn
the danger Of fire, and the electric
hazard" Is u prominent factor In all
their calculations. In 1900 the fire
underwriters were able to trace directly
to electricity 80 fires, with a total
property loss of $6,50O,OOO. The mum.
her of lives lost annually from electric
shocks Is even more appalling. Statls'
tics on this subject are now being gath.
cred ana have not yet been put into
tabular form. The report for single
day, however, shows that no less than
sixty people We're killed within twenty
four hours In the United States alone
by various accidents for which elec-
triclty was directly responsible. The
electric trolley has done much to turn
the country into place of suburban
residence, but the number of people
killed by fallen trolley wires has never
been taken account Of; the electric cle-
waited, which has abolished the nui-
sance OF smoke ana clnders. Is also re-
sponsible for many lives lost through
the agency of the deadly third rail. \
third danger resulting from the almost
universal Use of electricity Is that of
electrolysis, which, 1t appears, destroys
water pipes ana injures all work In
which iron or steel Is used. Electricity
has without doubt done much for man
and Will do more, At the same time the
facts In regard to its use simply empha-
size the truth of the old proverb that
every rose carries with It Il thorn CORE
spending in size and sharpness to the
beauty and usefulness of the flower.
%eA
The Saturday Globe of Utica, \. y,
says that 1t has no desire to go on rec
ord as opposing higher education; still
1t agrees with the opinion of the late
Coils H. IlllntinptOn who argued that