This is a quote from the London Morning Post from 1929 when the Shannon Scheme hydroplant was opened in the Republic of Ireland.

Quote:
"The present needs of Southern Ireland," said the newspaper, "cannot be more than about 50 million units per annum, whereas the scheme provides 150 million units. The Irish people... with such an excess of power... may all be electrocuted in their beds".

Tabloid press obviously hasn't changed much in all those years!

Reading that a couple of times over, I'm still wondering whether the writer seriously believed it or was just joking.

Whichever was the case, you can bet that at least some readers would take it seriously.

They were very fond of that particular phrase in the early days of mass-electricity... "We'll all be electrocuted in our beds!"

I have no idea how they thought this was going to happen? Well, I guess 1920s electric blankets were probably scary contraptions at the best of times!