Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-13

are imperilled. Several distressing acct
dents to workmen employed in equipment
work show what slight regard Is still felt
for heavily charged wires where the ex-
posture Is a source Of constant danger. One
case is cited where a wire which had been
thrown over an electric light wire carry
ing 5000 volts had its end tied around a
tree in a private yard. thus efecting con-
tact with a cable used for a swing. The
owner OF the premises in attempting to
remove the wire grasped the swing cable
and was instantly killed. Another in
stance is reported where a wireman fell
from a pole as the result Of shock from a
!, 000-volt alternating circuit and was Sc
verely injured. Most OF the losses were
due to very common causes. the chief
cases Of the grounding Of circuits being
Cd where fixture wires grounded on gas
pipes; 90 where feeder wires grounded
under sidewalks; (S) where service switches
grounded on outside walls; and az from
contact Of wires with awnings and metal
work on buildings. These defects deserve
careful study by property owners in any
way concerned with the proper control OF
the electrical hazard. The destruction OF
one house nearly resulted from the over
heating Of an electric hatiron. The APP
pliance was hung upon the wall when not
in use. While In that position q child
turned the switch so that the current was
turned into the iron. After a time the
heat became so intense that 1t communi-
Gated through the plastering to the latb
and studding, which were finally ignited.
The smoke was discovered by a servant on
the third floor In time to avert serious
loss. A $4,000 loss occurred during a
thunderstorm when lightning temporarily
disabled service wires furnishing current
TO a supply store. One Of the employees
going to the second floor to show some
merchandise, turned the key OF a lamp at
tached to an extension cord. As It did not
work he carelessly dropped the lamp on
top Of some clothing. When the current
was turned on a fire was started In the
stock with very disastrous results. Six
pole and tree" fires are reported. In one
case a limb Of a tree. after being burned
off by contact with a primary wire, fell
and crossed the primary with the secondary
circuits, sending high potential current at
1900 volts into three dwellings, in each Of
which fires were started. Many fires and
b%urnouts due TO crosses between telephone
and high-tension wires are noted. OF these
crosses, eleven were found on lighting and
four on trolley wires. Seven fires are
attributed to the overheating OF resistance
coils and heating devices: one being caused
by an electric smoothing iron. another
starting from a heater, a third from a
droplight left on a wooden seat and four
from resistance coils in rheostats. W
fires are reported due to the turnout Of
motors. one from an electric fan, and two
from incandescent arc lamps.
Current Notes.
Thomas A. Edison is building a special
electric car, fitted with his new storage
ability run in October under the auspices of
the AUTOMOBILE Club of America. The
will be the first public test of the inven-
ton.
The two electric light companies control
ing the business in New York City have
announced a reduction of rs per cent In
rates. Prices. will be 10 cents per kilowatt
hour for the arst two hours Of use. instead
of 20 cents. as now, and a somewhat smaller
relative reduction is made in the lower
rates charged where the current is used for
longer periods. than two hours. The small
consumers gain more from the reduction
than the large.
Wood is made hreproof by the Modem and
Bretonneau process, as used at Paris, by
placing It in a bath of magnesium ~sulphate.
Lead electrodes are used. the one being
separated from the other by a sailcloth Ola
then sent through the wood, with the re-
suit that the sap is extracted and is re-
placed by a non-infammable salt. The phe'
nomenon is thus explained; a. Part OF the
sulphate fills up the cells by electro-cnpil'
larfty. () There IS an osmotic exchange be-
tween the sulphate and the salts OF the
sap. Aseptic action. The process has beer
applied with success TO paving blocks. The
treatment lasts for forty-eight hours, the
timber being turned over after twenty-toul
hours. The rate OF energy is about half al
electric horsepower at twenty 10 thirty
volts per cubic metre.
The Western Union Telegraph company
has a large number of men at work build
ing new lines and making new connection
to take the place of the lines II has alonl
the Pennsylvania railroad, part OF the serv
ice on which is now operated by the Posta
Telegraph company. Some difficulty Il
being experienced by, the western Unioi
Telegraph company In re-establishing IL
abandoned turnpike lines, especially ii
Pennsylvania, and It 10 reported that tn,
company has not vet been able to find
place on which to land it's Delaware rive
cables on the New Jersey side that is no
owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad com
pany. The company expects, however, b.
December / to be able to handle over new
routes all the through business II now con
trolls over the Pennsylvania railroad lines
BY that date the Postal Telegraph com
pany will be In possession of all the office
and lines along the Pennsylvania railroad
H-ur nm