A Rat Story

The complete disintegration of a rat by elttctricity so that it retained all of iis natural appearance, but crumbled to (lust as soon as touched by metal, is vouched for by Mr. Henry J. Tolbert, now visiting Fhiladclphia - although olectricians connected with the electrio light plants in this city remain rather incredulous. The story was told to a News-gatherer yesterday. The city of rïeading is furnished a portion of its light by a company, which produces the electric current by means of the Brush machines. Mr. Tolbert says that hc visited the plant of the Reading company, and wnile looking at the brushes gathering the sparks of the Huid a rat carne running over the floor. To escape his human enemies, he jumped directly to the floor on to one of the brushes and was thrown b:iek to the ground. He lay motionless, apparently and ccrtainly dead, but without even a hair turncd. One of the employés was sent with a shovel to gather it up, but as soon as the shovel touched it the rat feil to dust, with a little cloud of particle8 rising from the piase wheim lts body had seemingly lüin. Tlir was no vestip! of hair.