The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-22
THE pASerRous WIRES.


 especially small boys. should read to them. or require them to carefully read | for themselves, the account in The Ad- yertiser of the sad fate of the young boy who met instant death wednes- day in Union Springs. Not that the accident was so rare as to render 1t remarkable. for such fatalities occur much more frequently than they would if children were better informed. This boy saw a loose wire hanging from pole. and with childish curiosity took hold of it. That was all. but a wid owed mother mourns for a son whose life went out without a moments warning.
 We repeat that the incident is not byy any means an unheard of result of boyish curiosity. How many small boys are there who will pass loose wire witho out wanting to lay a hand on 1t? They are few. even in the cities where the sight is not a rare one. If the wire were red-hot the boy would see that it was dangerous and would not venture to put his hand on it. yet a red-hot wire. heated from a furnace or by other artificial means would be safe in comparison with the other. A hot wire might burn the fingers but live one will snuff out a life as sudden ly as the flame of d candle may be snuffed out by a sudden gust of wind.
 We say that all children should be cautioned to avoid touching loose wires hanging from poles or other supports. for none of them can be sure that any wire is safe. A guy wire hanging from post may be as dead and safe as boys top string. but on the other hand 1t may lie across or otherwise touch live wire and thus be. charged with enough electricity to kill an elephant. Montsonnefy people remember that more than one horse has been killed in this city by coming into contact with a broken wire We believe q horse which the late Governor seay was driving down Dexter Avenue was Killed in this way, and there have been other cases of the same nature in this city. as there have been in other towns and cities where electricity is used for any purpose.
 As a matter of actual fact. electricity is one of the most dangerous as well as useful clements with which man. kird has anything to do. Here in Montgomery within the last few years a number of men have been killed while working on telephone or tele- graph wires, and they were men who were accustomed to the work and who might be supposed to understand the danger Sometimes through careless ness and sometimes through accident man would touch a live wire and thus establish circuit through his own body and that was all. In most cases death was instantaneous.
 And so we, again say that parents. teachers, guardians and all others who have care of children. or who are in any way responsible for them. should warn them against touching or taking hold of loose wires they may see hang ing over or lying partly on the streets. There are constant warnings and ad- vice given to the young to be careful in handling gun or pistol because one can never tell for certain whether the weapon is loaded or not. and hence any one may be dangerous, but a hang ing wire is infinitely more dangerous and uncertain than is any sort of hre- arm. Let the boys be taught that when they see a loose wire. or the end of one, the only safe and sure way is to let it alone and remember that the safe plan is to keep away from it. It will be well if this could be made part of the small boys education. Hands of" is the sure road to safety.