Paper #2, Crisis Communications
ENGL 101 Fall 2011

Your second paper will be based on the exchange between Edison and Westinghouse in response to Western Union lineman John Feeks' death as well as on Jonnes' account of the case and contemporary press accounts.  You did your preliminary post to the blog for Sept 29th based on your reading in Jonnes (pp. 198-204).  You then read what Edison and Westinghouse wrote after Feeks' death in the North American Review (see the URLs below) and updated your post.  Now write a revised 2-3+ page letter (typed and double spaced with in-text cites and a works cited page) taking a historically informed position on the case based on what you have learned from Jonnes, the North American Review exchange, and the New York Times article "Death in the Wires" from October 12th 1889.  You found the last item in class using Proquest Research Library.           

You have three options in writing the paper: 

• One option is to write a letter supporting either Westinghouse's or Edison's position.  If you take this approach, imagine you are either Westinghouse or Edison--or one of their associates-- and write a follow-up piece for the North American Review or supporting letter to another paper or journal defending your technical choices and business interests. 

• A second option is to imagine that you are an "objective" observer from a group like the New York City Board of Electrical Control trying to sort through both Edison's and Westinghouse's positions and come up with an analysis of what happened and recommendations for future action. 

• Finally, you have the option of writing from the future; if you take this approach, base your analysis and recommendations on subsequent history as well as the other sources listed above.  See, for example, Barehanding Technique Allows Power-line Repair Crews to Work with Live Wires and/or use ProQuest Research Library to find a Sept 7th, 2010 article by Kafia Hosh from the Washington Post entitled Barehanding Technique Allows Power-line Repair Crews to Work with Live Wires.  Chapter 12 of Tom McNichol's AC/DC: The Savage Tale of the First Standards War (on reserve in the JC library) is also relevant if you write your paper from the point of view of someone from the future.  

In each case, you can use the North American Review exchange as a model.  Remember that you are writing for a general audience, not just an audience of engineers or business associates, and so will need to explain the technical issues you cover.  You should discuss the advantages and dangers of Alternating and Direct Current as well as the events that provoked the exchange and draw on your previous study of the War of the Currents, transformers, Edison and Westinghouse.  You may decide to be more informal, personal or contemporary in your writing than either Westinghouse or Edison but whatever style you use, take a position on the specific issues that came up in the debate.  Use the MLA citation format (or APA if you already have been trained in its use) and integrate quotes and paraphrases from Jonnes, The North American Review, and "Death in the Wires" into the style of your letter.  Jonnes was obviously written long after the Edison/Westinghouse exchange but you can refer to her as a contemporary to preserve the point of view of your letter.   

You should post an initial draft of your letter to the blog before class on Oct 4th, add to your posting during class that day, and revise it for email submission as a print paper on Thurs Oct 13th.  Your paper must include detailed evidence pulled from Jonnes, the North American Review exchange, and "Death in the Wires."  Remember that you are required to have at least one tutoring session as you are revising paper #1 or working on paper #2. Check/make appointments or schedule a face-to-face meeting with a tutor from the Writing Center. For Dylan's and Brian's hours, click here. Also see the tutoring flyer distributed to LLC Univ100s.  If you see a tutor, include a statement of what you went over in your session and what you changed as a result; also include a Visit Verification form signed by the tutor.  Put this material in my box in the English Dept on the 4th floor of Robinson Hall A or bring it to our next class. 

By Tues Oct 11th at 11:59pm, comment on at least two of your fellow students' posts on Brown and two on Feeks' electrocution (#7 and 8).  Note that one of your comments on the Feeks' postings should be an "in character" critique from the point of view of one of the parties in the debate and one a more objective critique, concentrating on the persuasiveness of their arguments, use of evidence and sources, rhetorical strategy.

 The citations and URL for the North American Review exchange are as follows:    

Thomas Edison, "The Dangers of Electric Lighting"
North American Review Volume 149, Issue 396
November 1889 pp. 625-635 (click on the 13th article on the Contents page)
http://digital.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=nora;cc=;view=toc;subview=short;idno=nora0149-5

George Westinghouse, Jr., "A Reply to Mr. Edison"
North American Review Volume 149, Issue 397
December 1889 pp. 653-665 (click on the 4th article on the Contents page)
http://digital.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=nora;cc=;view=toc;subview=short;idno=nora0149-6