The Negro world., 1900-03-10
FIREMEN AND ELECTRICITY.
Little Danger of Fatsi Accident.
from Contact with Currents, says
an Electrical Engineer.


.'Yes.- said the chief engineer Of one
OF the large general electric companies,
The growing use OF electricity, with the
multiplicity of commercial currents,
does offer new problems to the fire de-
partments OF large cities" The remark
was made IN connection with discus
sion of the experience Of the Brooklyn
firemen with the current raii of the
Fifth avenue elevated road, when they
attempted one night recently to play
a stream on burning motor car at the
Flatbush avenue station.
Nine times out Of ten, however" he
continued, "the results will be more
ludicrous than serious, as In the Brook
Iyn case, where the six men directing
the stream were shocked by current
communicated from the exposed third
rail through the steady stream of wa
ter. There no harm was done beyond
startling the men into dropping the
hose, which. when released, writhed
about like a giant snake. drenched
every one within range, and smashed Q
few windows. That was, of course, not
pleasant for the dripping people nor
the owners of the windows, but there
was absolutely no danger to the lives
Of the flremen. The current in the third
rail was only one Of $50 volts, which,
dissipated as II was by being so con.
ducted. could give only severe tingle.
''Oh. yes, II Is perfectly true that a
stream Of water will act as a conductor
In such cases. But II is a very imper-
feet one. In the first place pure wa
ter Is In itself a poor conductor. Its
efficiency as a conductor varies direct
IL with the solid impurities in H. Then,
though the stream forms an unbroken
circuit from the rail 10 the metal nozzle
held by the men. and through them TO
the earth, the spraying and large sur
face area OF the stream dissipates the
current greatly. In the third place,
short circuit Is almost sure 10 be formed
by the stream from the third rail to the
track rails as the water spreads. This
In itself would divert the current so
that very little would be felt by the hui
man beings who form a link In the
longer circuit.
''The experience OF the Brooklyn fire.
men might be duplicated wherever the
stream falls upon n non-lnsulated wire
conveying current OF any considera-
BILE voltage. II Is possible in the case
OF trolley wires. and, | believe, also in
the case Of the main cables which carry
the current for lightning purposes in
n large Office building. But, as ! said
before. there is no danger to life. II Is
only disagreeable thing which the
firemen may have TO contend with.
There may be a case, but this is scarcely
more than hypothetical, where there is
a real danger TO life In current con-
ducted by a stream Of water. II is only
about two weeks ago that we had an
example OF such a case here in Manhat-
tan. That was the fire in the testing
department OF the Edison Illuminating
building in West Twenty
sixth street. II the firemen had not
been warned 10 withhold the stream un-
I'll the current had been turned off from
the large motors, IL might have been a
tragedy instead OF comedy, like the
Brooklyn fire. Perhaps ought TO mod
crate my remark ms to danger being
merely hypothetical. But, after all, II
could only be through Ignorance, on
which we need not reckon, that there
would be real danger. When the pres
ence Of such great electric currents is
known, II Is n simple matter to turn
them OIL before playing streams on the
fire. In all buildings containing large
motors or dynnmos, the current, by
means Of switching boards, can be
turned of at various distant parts OF
the building. II would surely be
case where one OF these
switchboards could not be got at in case
Of fire.
Moreover, II you stop to think about
Il, II the fireman would add rubber
gloves to his present gutta pereha out
1T he would be practically insulated.
with rubber coat. hip boots and gloves
An electric current might pass along
the dampness of his garments. reach
the ground, and thus complete a cir
suit. but IL would not be felt by the man
himself unless he got soaked through.
Even then the current transmitted by
moisture would be too
slight to take seriously. II the intelli-
gence used by the fire-fghters In meet.
ing other difficulties is also exercised In
this matter they need not fear electric
ity,"--N. Y. Times.