The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-05
The Telegraph Poles In tho Streets.

THIRD MEETING OF THE ALDgRMANic COMMITTEES IN
REFERENCE TO THEIR PROPOSED REMOVAL.
The Committee on Streets of the Board Aldermen held
their third meeting Wednesday reference to the coa
temated removal of the telegraph poles from the streets
ana laying the wires under sround-Altcl Booze in
the chair. aA
There berg no one present on behalf Of the telegraph
companies and consequent y one to speak against the
removal Of the poles,
Alderman BRADY aud ex Aldermen Oliver and BLACK
STONE spoke in favor Of having then, removed. They
stated that subtcrancan telegraph wire is in operation
at present between London and liverpool England, and
also throughout the Kingdom Of Prussia they also urged
that apart from these proofs Of the praccably OF lay
ing telegraph wires under ground, the fact Of subter
ranean telegraph wires being in successful operation
that they can be laid and worked in New York.
They also stated that on the I'd Of December 1885, tho
telegraph companies signed contract With party for
laying the wires in this city, under ground therefore
they must have been assured that the could sue
cessfuly accomplished They submitted coma anlcations
from s. T. Armstrong and others connected with telegraph
business, showing that subtcrraneau telesraphlng Is
quite practicable. They all repeated many arguments
that they advanced at At the former meetings.
Mr.. BrCKMAN, of 304 Broadway, submitted q diagram
Of suoterranean tube which he proposed to construct
and guarantee that telegraphc wires could be
fully worked and easily repaired within it.
TAI +. SIAFfNER now entered the and spoke at
great length against the practcabiy Of using wires for
Geographic purposes when they were laid under
ground lie admitted that Geographic lines under ground
are now working in Europe, but denied that the stems
1
terranean lines Professor Farraday satisfied himself Of
the truth of this fact and experiment the matter in
England failed, entaling loss of $4,000, the
protectors When he was in Russia the time the
subtelTanean line from 81. Petersburg to Moscow.
failed though hickly insulated by gua percha and
covered with lead, he was obliged to recommend to the
government that should be taken up, after examina
ton had been made on it and it found that the
sbprage of the electric current by the
decayng of the nsuaor and the lead The saline OF the
earth had corroded the metal and rendered ii of
no service Aud this was especially the case in the
tnernw n ahnco
ing through Khva, smpheropol and Perekop, was
rendered useless from the same or similar line
was also connected, and which was made in the
way failed 10 influence the galvanomeler in either of those
inc The lines in England work because the batteries
used are different from those in this country. To each
Ct them two wires attached, and of these
through them alternately, that neither Of them be-
comes overcharged uncomfortable. Morses system
nsed in this country has only one wire connected with the
battery and the slightest negative electric action
The positive current IRON passing through the wire This is
fully Illustrated in the Leyden jar, where positive and
negative electricity illustrated Water acts as mega
tive on the wires, or produces negative action and
matter how the wire may be insulated 10 water under
ground where there Is considerable moisture per feet
aton can never be attained. Dry air is the best usulator
that s row known hence currents of electricity pass
more freely along wires suspended in the air than other
wise though even is not perfect insuator for he had
known wires placed contiguous to one through which
current was sent to DO influenced powerfully by their
this electrical phenomena that the Atlantic cable IS NOT
working lie mentioned in this connection that he has
obtained permission from the Danish government to
sruct telegraph line from the United States the North
Of Europe BY way oil Greenland Iceland and the Farce
Islands he believes this the only Geographic route
TO Europe.
JonS p. FL said he would be prepared to submit
plan to the committee at their next meet ng whereby
they might perceive that the Geographic companies might
rid the city OF the poles aud the disadvantages of the
from, the city, a. half their present cost, aud with as
much despatch they forwarded and delivered now
He DID not, howeyer nenon bis plan, but he spoke Of