[LM111065], Letter from Arthur Edwin Kennelly to Frank Seymour Hastings, September 6th, 1888
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/LM111065
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- Title
- [LM111065], Letter from Arthur Edwin Kennelly to Frank Seymour Hastings, September 6th, 1888
- Editor's Notes
- Many thanks for your kind letter of yesterdays date. As regards the figures given in the cutting you enclose you will have observed that the voltage necessary to kill a dog is stated to be between 300 & 700 volts for continuous currents within 30 secs####100 & 250 - -alternating - - -####and 900 & 2100 - - continuous - - 2 secs####300 & 750 - - alternating - - - -####Now none of us know I think what it takes to certainly kill a man, and consequently to state any voltage that will do so is to go "out of the [wood?]" as the lawyers say. I am inclined to think that an alternating voltage of 300 with good contact would kill a man, but I certainly do not think it would do so instantly. It would I imagine torture him first. I wanted to express a safe opinion and one which if carried out would produce painless because unconscious death to a criminal. I was not touching on the danger question from electric lighting at all in that paragraph. I think it would hardly be in good taste to alter the statement as it stands, but I can always state what I --- have the####honor to mention to you, if so doing would help you in any way. We are continuing the experiments for Mr Edison, and can kill a dog now more swiftly than a rifle bullet when desired.####I see Mr [barcher Weyde?] says in the Chemical World that we must have used 82,000 volts at Columbia College by mathematical calculation, not quite, he says but thinks 82,000 may be exaggerated but thereabouts. I am glad to think that a Siemens machine built for 100 volt lamps and a converter of 3 to 1 ratio can give a voltage of 80,000 or so but I am still more glad that I didn't know it at the time as I might have been nervous. I am sorry I wasn't present when Mr. Van der Weyde who doesn't recognize a voltmeter read his paper. PS Dr. Lodin of Columbis College for whom you are having a voltmeter made said his wires were still much entangled since the experiments there. Maybe, as he is a very quick fellow, you will let the man who takes the voltmeter fix him up as the Dr. is a chemist not an electrician."
- Author
- Kennelly, Arthur Edwin
- Recipient
- Hastings, Frank Seymour
- Date
- 1888-09-06
- Type
- Letter
- Folder ID
- LM111-F
- Microfilm ID
- 109:138
- Document ID
- LM111065
- Publisher
- Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University
- Has Version
- Archive.org Viewer, Microfilm Series Reel 109