A LEAKY ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1186, 15 December 1883, Page 3

A LEAKY ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR.

A crowd of men and boys gathered ou the side-walk in Maiden-lane, New York, a few weeks ago. At very frequent in tervals somebody would exclaim, " Here comes one !" and then everybody would smile with a pleasurable expectation, and turn their eyes to an approaching horse and truck. The driver, meanwhile, with that supercilious indifference peculiar to his class, would scarcely design to notice the crowd or remove his gaze from his jogging beast. Suddenly, when his horse reached a certain spot in the street pavement, the animal would give a spavined and convulsive leap, shake up the driver with a violent jerk, and continue on his way at a lively pace. Then the crowd would laugh and the driver swear. When a team came aloDg sometimes only one horse would be affected, but the pair always jumped ahead in rattling style. These phenomena invariably occurred when the horses reached the same spot in the street pavement. The underground electric light wire had become disarranged, and a metal plate in the roadway was strongly charged with electricity, so that when the iron shoe of a horse touched it, the animal experienced a severe shock. The fun lasted until a policeman came along and warned drivers to take the si<!e of the road.