Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-04-22


A. Leonard, chief-engineer in charge Of
river. was called. Mr.. Leonard gave his
experience in electrical work, which, ne
said, covered about fourteen years,
On cross-examination MIR. Leonard said
u would be rather unusual thing for a
wire the size that we have to use TO break:
the wires are copper and not insulated: ii
one did break it would throw the circuit
breaker in the power house, and shut or
the current; the wire would then be dead
and harmless
These questions and answers followed:
Y. What would be the danger OF q stream
OF water coming in contact with it
A. don't know.
q. Don't you know what the danger
would be il a stream OF water came
in contact with the wire A wire OF
this voltage +?
Mr.. Hall. There is no water system where
these people live.
Mr.. Hurley. There may be.
Mr.. Hall. There isn't now.
A. no, don't know what would hap
pen. never have known of cur
rent OF water striking high ten
sion system.
q. You never heard OF one?
A. l have never been able to get any in
formation on the subject.
Z. What in your opinion as an electric
ian?
A. Well, i presume certain proportion
OF electricity might follow the
stream Of water. don't know what
proportion. Water itself is a non
conductor of electricity.
q. Would there be force enough to kill
man who had hold OF the nozzle?
A. ! never heard OF it killing man.
q. That wasn't what asked you.
A. don't know. / have never heard OF
Deinp ,.t1IpH t,.yo air M
OF water. Question repeatedly am
unable TO say because don't know.
z. As an electrician you say you don't
know.
A. don't know. don't know any cleo
trician who does know.
q. What effect would it have il tele-
phone wire came in contact with
your power wire?
A. presume the telephone wire would
be burned through.
q. Would there be any danger to any one
on the other end OF the telephone?
A. don't know about that.
q. What is your opinion as an cleo
trician?
A. Well, the telephone wire is so small in
proportion to the amount OF current
that l should not suppose that
large enough current to injury any
body would follow telephone wire.
A certain proportion would follow it.
Q. Then in your opinion there wouldn't
be any injury to person at the tele-
phone?
A. No.
Frank SiiIiman, j., an officer OF the Bar
Harbor & Union River Power Co. and OF
the Bangor Electric & Railway Co., and
an expert electrical engineer, was called.
In response to request by Mr.. Hall that
he state to the court his views as to the
danger OF the proposed transmission line
in Ellsworth, having listened to the tes-
timony OF the prior witness, and espec-
tally the testimony that it is said would
have been given by an absent witness on
the other side, Mr.. Siiliman said:
my experience with this sort OF thing,
this transmission line, over a period OF
lifetime Of the art, would lead me to be
lieve that the risk in connection with this,
while there is some risk, is very slight.
The degree OF risi; is shown by the expe-
rience throughout the history Of the art.
Lines Of this voltage, and voltage
twice that which is proposed to be used on
this line, are In common use, particularly
in the West, and some IN the East, radiat-
ing from Niagars Falls particularly, lines
Of &C, 900 volts running from Niagara Falls
to the city OF Syracuse, stopping at every
large city, including Rochester, on the
way, are in daily use; and from Niagara
Falls to Buffalo lines have been in use for
many years high tension lines. There is,
Of course, some element Of risk, as there
is with almost anything; the pole itself
might fall down and hit some one, but the
risk is a rather remote one, just as it is
that the wires will come down. There is
no danger from the mere fact that they
are there"
Continuing, Mr.. Siliiman referred to
transmission lines in Maine with which
he Was familiar, saying that he did not
know OF Q single accident in connection
with them that affected the public. High
tension lines are so common, even up to
so 900 volts, that he had never before heard
the proposition advanced that they were
unusually hazardous things.
The cross-examination by Mr.. Hurley
was as follows:
@. What effect would these wires have on
shade-trees that came in contact with
them?
A. The wire coming in contact with
shade-tree would burn the limb that
it came in contact with, and open the
circuit breaker at the power station.
Burn it, mean, the moment OF contact
and open the circuit breaker.
@. Surprising the tree did not come in
contact with it, but was foot or two
or three feet from the wire; what
effect would it have on the shade-tree
A. 1t would have the same effect as ii it
was a hundred miles from the place.
@. What would that effect be?
A. Nothing.
o. In your opinion it doesn't affect shade
trees in the least unless it comes in
contact with them?