On Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:32:40 +0100, "Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay,
Orkney)" wrote:

Charles Ellson wrote:
Up to around 3000v DC off a local generator IIRC (thus the dimming of
the prison lights as seen in many films is a load of old cobblers).
There was a DC v AC competition involving the public killing of an
elephant in the early days of deciding the "best" way to fry people;
prior to that Thomas Edison "perfected" his AC system by killing
numerous cats and dogs in experiments

Was it not Edison who was so convinced that DC was the only way to
proceed and tried his best to show that Tesla and his AC system was a
mistake?

Yes, that was the reason the elephant had to die, although it looks
like as you say that it was DC that Edison espoused but AC that the
unfortunate "Topsy" was cooked with to prove that she would have been
safer (but equally dead) with a unidirectional jolt :-
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/01/03...ctrocuted.html

Although apparently "she had to die" anyway (Topsy 3 Keepers 0) :-
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/pet/topsy.html
but carrots laced with cyanide merely made a tasty treat and there
wasn't a big enough gallows. Surprisingly, no-one seems to have
considered having her shot.