Norman said -
"My main task was to hold onto the bare plug lead wire while he cranked
the engine over - to see if it was generating power!"
--------------------------------------------
I had nearly finished installing a 240v generator in an unroaded village
remote in the Eritrean Highlands - and had strung up much bare copper in
the vicinity of the school - neatly, and all out of reach on poles and
buildings mind you. But I knew by the questions by-standers had asked - that
many had yet no real idea of what it was all about.
But for boys who were always throwing sticks into trees etc to bring down
snakes, and others who had already secretly blessed me as they ignorantly
straddled their washing on this new Village Amenity, I knew (like Norman's
Dad) that a little education was necessary - but *before* switch-on day.
So, we assembled all 120 or so pupils at the school and I got them to stand
around me in a large circle under the blazing sun. Then - with a bit of
play-acting I shall miss out here because it would be non-electron and
therefore off-topic(!) - I broke the circle and handed the child on either
side of me a bared wire each to hold. The wires were already attached to my
'Mega Tester' with its crank-handle (thumb on the opposite side) and its
500v generator.
I made a speech! Then, with a *very* careful eye on the Mega's reading, I
cranked the handle *very* slowly until it suddenly fell to zero. There
followed a very animated and switched-on discussion. This cycle was of
crank,
tingle and discuss was repeated some few times and although (disappointing
to Tony) there were no wet tongues involved, spitting on hands was part of
the advanced and shocking drills conducted (!) Who would stay in the ever
diminishing circle developed into a sort of macho party game.
I'd probably be locked up today for that. But I never (in the years that
followed) received a report of anyone receiving a shock - even in the
rains - and that day added not a few new words to my vocabulary of the local
language.
Are you shocked?!
John in Wales
PS When the Ethiopian Army arrived, they were very puzzled at the presence -
40 miles from the nearest town - of those 'telephone wires'.
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