Bergmann & Company Branch Line Cut-Out, Used at James S. Gary & Son Cotton Mill, Alberton, Maryland, 1882

Short circuits and current overloads can overheat wires within electrical power and lighting systems, causing damage and possibly starting a fire. In the late 19th century, a cutout with a fuse or fuse-wire protected these systems--the fuse would burn out and break the electric circuit if a surge or overload occurred. Replacing the fuse returned the circuit to working order.