THE DANGERS OF ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

THE DANGERS OF ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

In treating of the danger of electric lighting, I intend to confine my remarks to the dangers, as they relate to the business in which we are engaged. Electric lights are now so rapidly being introduced into our largest stores, hotels, mills and manufacturing establishments, that it becomes the duty of underwriters to carefully examine into the question and, if danger exists, to take prompt and decided measures to guard against the same at every point. The N w York Board of Fire Underwriters, some months ago, delegated to their Committee on Origin of Fries this duty, and in their investigations, (which has occupied considerable time and attention, and which are now only partly performed) they discovered the evidence of existing and'threatened danger of a serious character. To guard against the same, the said board, upon the recommendation of their committee, adopted a preliminary standard of requirements for “electric light wires, lamps, etc,," which will be amended and added to from time to time, as they learn more of the subject, and as necessity may demand, and I propose to take up this standard seriatim and give the reasons that actuate the committee in the recommendation of each requirement.

I. Wires to have fifty per cent excess of conductivity above the amount calculated as necessary for the number of lights to be supplied by the wire. It is currently reported that the several fires that occurred at the Paris Exhibition were mainly caused by the wires and contact of wires. If a wire has not conductivity sufficient to carry the current of electricity, the wire will become heated, and if insulated, will burn the insulation, and if not insulated, will burn whatever combustible substance it comes in contact with, and also consume the wire.