A NEW DANGER.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4547, 24 May 1889, Page 3

A NEW DANGER.

A new theory of tbe fire at the Melbourne Bijou has been raised. It is suggested thai the Cm may have been originated by the accidental contact of the telephone and electric wires. Slight outbreaks of fire from this cause have been alarmingly frequent ol late ; and it it anticipated that as the electric system is extended accidents of this nature will increase m proportion. Out of the numerous cases of tbe kind which har« beat reported one may be cited. The telephone ol a large business firm, carrying on buainesi m Elizabeth street and at South Melbourne, has been twice destroyed by tbe suddec fusing of tbe wires. ,On each occasion s jet of flame fully 18in m length Bhot out from the instrument, and the woodwork oi the telephone at eaoh end was instant lj dsstroyed. Had anyone, been using the m. strument there can be no doubt that the effect would have been immediately fatal. A complaint was made to the telegraph author! ties, and a reply was receivod that tbe fir< was caused by the wires of the eleotrio lighting company, which by contract with the posta! department, are carried overhead on the tele graph poles with ths telephone wire. As th< department had a permanent contract with th< electrio lighting company no remedy wai possible. Mr James (general manager of th< telegraph branch) admits that this account ii substantially true. There have, be says been several similar outbreaks since the electric wires were first put up some roonthi ago,and there is always a possibility of fusior wherever the two wires cross.