Dangerous High Tension Wires

DANGEROUS HIGH TENSION WIRES

The accidents which are happening right along with the high tension wires of the Detroit, Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Jackson Electric railway indicate that a mistake was made when those wires were permitted to enter the city.

A few weeks ago, one of them came down, or rather got loose from its insulation in some way, burned the whole top of the large pole on which it was strung off and fell down. In doing this it crossed telephone wires, ran in to houses and burned out telephones and temporarily drove people out of their homes. On Tuesday last one of these wire sagged down in a manner to cross the lead wires of the Ann Arbor Electric company, thus throwing a powerful current into the electric company's wires, burning out its dynamos and many motors throughout the city.

As more and more is learned from experience with these wires bearing their powerful currents, it becomes more and more apparent what the danger is which constantly threatens from these wires passing through the city as they do. Ann Arbor seems to have been dead easy in giving permission for the occupancy of its streets with this dangerous agency. One of the workmen of the company is alleged to have said that Ann Arbor is the only city within his knowledge that has permitted these wires to come on its streets and pass immediately by residence property and in the closest proximity to other wires. He is said to have confessed much surprise that this thing was allowed in Ann Arbor. It is well known that these wires are so heavily charged that when conditions are just right the current is very liable to jump some distance to another conductor. It is even alleged by some who have worked with these wires that in a rainy day with the poles which carry them become conductors of a portion of the charge and that it is possible to get a shock from them. But be this as it may, there is abundant evidence that the city has unwittingly possibly permitted a most dangerous thing to come on its residence streets without a word of protest. 

This matter should receive the attention of the city authorities at once and before there is one or more deaths to be charged up to the dangerous current. It is far better to take such matters in hand before public sentiment is aroused by some fatal accident charged up to the agency.