Memories from my Schooldays - The Electrocution Incident
Not long after the sodium incident came the electrocution incident.
Me and Murdoch built an electrical generator, it was capable of very high voltage but had very low current. It's voltage that shocks but current that kills. So we knew it was safe. Probably.
It was lunchtime in the playground with about 200 kids. We got them all to join hands and started passing voltage through the chain. Of course, we said that the first person to break the chain was a coward. So they all held on tight as they began to shake.
Later Pete Thomas, my math teacher, told me the story from the teacher's perspective.
The teacher's lounge was on the second floor overlooking the playground. So as they ate lunch they always had the background hum of 200 kids playing. Suddenly the hum stopped. This was incredibly unusual, so the Headmaster told Pete to go to the window and report what was happening.
Pete looked out and then issued the now legendary words, "Well Headmaster, it seems that Abbott and Murdoch are attempting to electrocute the entire school".
I recall the caning for that episode was especially vigorous. "Abbott I own a dozen canes, but this is my favorite used only for special occasions. Now bend over."
When I got back to class I could not sit.
Murdoch convinced the Headmaster he was simply a voltage advisor, so got off with a minor caning.
Tech Notes:
Content written and posted by Ken Abbott abbottsystems@gmail.com
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