Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-01-29
Mistellancuus 8eading.
FREAKS OF FELEcTRIcITY.
Results That Are Remarkable and Fro
quentIy UnexplainabIe.

| ian port Drought dClloll d6oiiSs 'iiS
owners Of certain copper-bottomed
wooden vessels to compel them to re-
move these craft from the neighbor-
hood Of a number Of new warships and
other new steel and iron vessels lying
in the same part Of the harbor
It appears that the two metals, cop
per and iron, being immersed, in salt
water actually produced electric ac-
ton. with the result that the iron was
electrolytically corroded by the cur
rents set up from the copper bottoms
Of the wooden vessels.
The plaintiff established his case
and an order was made for the imme-
diate removal Of the copper-bottomed
ships from that part Of the harbor.
In these days, when electrically
charged wires, used not only for light
ing but for driving trans and other
purposes, underlie almost every thor
oughfare in big towns, this problem
Of electrolysls Is rapidly becoming SER
ious. The corrosion exercised upon the
neighboring water pipes exactly re-
sembles that produced by powerful
acids.
The iron of the pipes becomes honey
combed with small pores, which grad
ually grow larger and larger until even
tually the affected part gives way like
so much rotten wood, and the life OF
the main as such is over. An iron pipe
when thoroughly electrolyzed can be
pounded into powder with an ordi-
nary hammer.
A very odd point about this form OF
electric damage is that, while on some
occasions the mischief Is the work OF
years at other times a thick pipe Will
be destroyed by current Of exactly
the same power within three months
Electric tram currents are the princi-
pal culprits.
Theoretically, electricity drawn down
from overhead wires and used for
driving vehicles Is supposed to return
to the power house through the earth.
But electricity always moves along
the lines of least resistance. There
fore, a water main being better con-
ductor than the earth, the current Is
apt to Jump to it, and with shocking
lack Of gratitude 1t then proceeds to
destroy it's borrowed right Of way.
The damage goes on secretly below
ground, and the first intimation is the
sudden bursting Of the main. This, OF
course, usually happens at time when
there Is extra pressure, such as occurs
during a fire.
Many thousands Of pounds worth OF
damage has been dore by fires which
have become uncomfortable because
the water supply mas suddenly failed
from this cause.
There was an odd scene in Liver
pool two winters ago. A leakage took
place in an electric lighting main laid
just underneath the foot path. cir
cult was set up on the pavement, which
happened to be wet at the time. Every
person who passed was seen to spring
into the air. and some were knocked
down before 1t was discovered what
was the matter.
Much more serious was a galvanic
frolic in Vienna on March 8, 1902. A
heavy fall of wet snow took place dur
ing the previous night. 1t froze as 1t
fell, and coating the wires with
great thickness Of ice eventually
brought them down.
The streets were simply Uttered with
live wires. Dozens Of horses were
killed, and policemen had to be sta
toned at every corner to save pedes-
trians from touching the wires. In
spite of all precautions three persons
were killed and a number were very
severely shocked.
A very odd occurrence was reported
recently from Middletown, Ind. A
house on the pike, as the main road Is
called, became suddenly charged with
electricity.
The very clothes of its inhabitants
emitted sparks. and when two gar
ments in contact were pulled away
from one another there was a loud
cracking sound. The phenomenon
lasted for several weeks, and at last
the people became so alarmed that they
moved out Of the house and left it de-
serted.
The immensely powerful currents
used for lighting and heating have to
be handled with the greatest care or
the results may be serious. There was
striking instance of this at Buffalo
few months ago.
The Buffalo Union Furnace company
had occasion to clean out a blast fur
mace, and finding the refuse-technical-
ly known as the acknowledgements
ingly hard to drill. 1t occurred to the
electrician Of the works to burn holes
in the mass by means Of an electric
arc.
So powerful was the current employ
ed that an arc was produced which
gave light equal to 3Os,0OO candles
that is to say. the equivalent of about
100 of the large arc street lamps. The
heat was nearly 5000 degrees
With this arc a hole four inches In
diameter and twenty-six inches deep
was burned in about four hours. The
electrician, having finished his work.
left for home on his bicycle.
Before reaching his house he fell of
his wheel giddy and with terrible pain
in his eyes. For four days he was
quite blind. His eyes were frightful-
ly infamed, and the skin peeled COM