That was actually to prove how “dangerous” it was. This was when Edison and Tesla were duking it out, trying to get their respective electricity types established as the standard. Edison and JP Morgan decided it would be a good promotion for alternating current if they publicly electrocuted an elephant with direct current to demonstrate how dangerous it was. Obviously they knew that both modes are dangerous with that much current, but when has marketing ever been about honesty?
That was actually to prove how “dangerous” it was. This was when Edison and Tesla were duking it out, trying to get their respective electricity types established as the standard. Edison and JP Morgan decided it would be a good promotion for alternating current if they publicly electrocuted an elephant with direct current to demonstrate how dangerous it was. Obviously they knew that both modes are dangerous with that much current, but when has marketing ever been about honesty?
But the whole idea of electrocuting mammals caught on, so there is that!