Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-28
Adventure In Electrical Power
House That Should Have Killed.

From the Anaconda CMon.) Standard.
A happening which is claimed by local
electrical experts to have been the most
remarkable circumstance in the history of
electric lighting occurred Saturday night
at the subpower station of the Montana
Power Transmission Company, at the foot
of Montana street. 1t was a human being
short circuiting an electric current of 2.OD
horsepower or 1000 VOLTS and escaping
without so much slight burn. The cir
cult was that which the Montana Trans
mission Company manufactures at the big
water power plant on the Big Hole river.
The current is brought to Butte. a distance
of twenty miles, at a pressure of 1880
volts, and at the substation at the foot
of Montana street is reduced for consump-
ton in the city. The wires carrying this
tremendous voltage enter the building at
the SubStation and are carried to a switch
board which stands a few feet from one of
the walls and is by the mechanism of this
switchboard diverted to the step-down
transformers, which do the business of re-
ducing the pressure.
Here is where the great American In
dian makes his entrance into this very I'M
usual tale, which IS the story of how one
lone red man brought to a standstill the
entire business of a corporation worth more
than a million dollars. South of the city
is the camp of band of Cree Indians, and
in travelling to and from the city the In
uldnS nave 10 pass the SuDpOWer station.
One of the tribe had been in the city dur
ing the day, and had filled up on fire water
till his natural means of locomotion was
considerably impaired, and the consequence
was that when he reached the light station
he concluded to take a rest. The night
rainy and cold. and he looked about
for shelter The station is always kept
locked at night, but Lo found an open win
dow and crawled inside. What he next did
is a forceful exemplification of the saying,
Fools walk boldly in where angels fear
to tread
The electricians employed at the station
would more think of even stepping be-
hind the big switchboard than they would
OF Selling hold of the wires themselves .or
to the ordinary white man 1t would mean
almost certain death. But I4o was not up
in the greatest of modern sciences, and the
place, therefore, had no terrors for him. 1t
was warm behind the switchboard. and
that was just the place he was looking for.
He walked or staggered In and leaned his
back against the wires. which carried
enough electricity to kill a regiment Of SOL
diers at one time.
There was a great flash. which for a sec
ond lighted up the station brighter than
calcium. Then the machinery slowed down
almost to a standstill and the lights all
over the city went out The men at the
station knew something had happened at
the switchboard. and went to look All
they found was grimy redskin lying quv-
cring on the moor. They cbui STE nc wa,
not dead. however, and they hauled him
slightest evidence about him that he had
come in contact with the current except
that his hair was singed
Looking further the men discovered me
mystery of what had happened. The In
dian had worn his hair in long braid
hanging down his back. While out in the
weather the braid had become soaked with
rain, and when he went in and leaned up
against the wires the braid touched one of
the wires just at the back of his mead and
dangling. came in contact with another
Just below it. This caused a short circuit
and slowed down the plant and the Indian
never so much as got shock, but mis- braid
was cut off as smooth as 1t could have been
done with a pair Of shears
If the Indian was not up-to-date in one
respect he quite evidently is in another, as
1t is stated that he has notified the COM
pany of his intention of bringing suit for
damages for the loss of his braid.
This is the first interruption of any kind
the company has experienced since the
great turbines commenced to turn on the
Goth of last March.