The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-24
Their Removal Throughout the City to
Take Place Immediately.
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANHATTAN COMPANY
Mrs McGuire's Death Caused by One Of
Their Poles.
WHAT WILL BE DONE ABOUT TIP

aroused, in nearly all OF private neglect OF pub
lie safety by tho death Of two victims OF tho shocking
negligence. The FIRST that Of
x'GuiRH,
OF No Hester street On the morning OF August 4,
the day after tho fatal accident the Board OF Aldermen
passed ordinance against all dangerous telegraph
poles and accompanied It with the following directions
10 Mr.. Seth G. Douglass Superintendent Of the Bureau
Of Encumbranccs:-
notify the telegraph companies owning the unused
telegraph poles now cncumbering many Of tho streets
or this city to tho same forthwith and in the
event OF refusal or neglect on the part OF any or
either OF said companies to comply with such noti
the Superintendent of Encumbrances to remove the
same, as being both obstruction the free Of
streets BY the public and being dangerous to the
lives Of our Inhabitants.
The ordinance was approved by the Mayor on the
Bth inst
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS.
Thus the two recommendations Of tho CoroEers jury
h the MCGUIRE complied with. But they
,lso censured the owners, without being able 10
Ind out who they were. What the Board of Coroners
and the select jury failed to accomplish
fully performed by the HERALD On the inquest all the
telegraph officials who examined disclaimed all
ownership connection with the fallen pole. The
presidents of the various companies interviewed
but all were equally reticcnt The public next
astounded to learn that there thousands Of poles
in the city whose condition nearly bad that Of
the fatal pole James Crowley superintendent of the
police telegraph made out list OF localities where the
most dangerous poles were situated.
Eleven days after Mrs. McGuire's death similar
accident happened to Mr. Taneau at the OF Mad-
avenue and 124th The jury which called
asst Saturday to pronounce verdict in his case in
tead Of censuring the Fro Department for allowing
he rotten old poles to stand long, recommended that
"greater should be used in taking down unsafe
poles. -
An Influential member Of the Fire Department
wrtes:-"I regret to notice the death Of jeremiah
Taneau who died from injuries received by the falling
OF the pole 124th Taneau for many years
one Of the attaches of the Fire Alarm Telegraph
bcllringer at the old Post Office always found
him attentive to his duties and considered him of
my most trustworthy subordnates He was q MEM
Der OF the old Volunteer FIRE Department, and the
scars which he bore upon his face and body the
result OF injuries received in the discharge Of duty.
So serious wero his burns that when rescued
by mis- comrades from the fallen burning
building, he placed in wagon and covered COM
pletely with flour before he be taken the hos
partment have become suddenly aware that there
were numbers Of the old and unsafe poles upon the
town routes which we're not included in the transfer to
the Chesters, and Taneau's death was the result of
an anxiety to remove them before public attention
was called TO them.''
FIXING THE RESPONSIBILITY
The HERALD reporter, In commencing his nvestiga-
tons as to the ownership OF the dangerous poles
the city, thwarted at every step The first data
furnished at tho Coronor's inquest James
Crowley, superintendent Of the police telegraph,
eai the aa mot belong 10 bis line 10Sn
David H. Bates, OF the Atlantic and Pacific and Frank
lin companies. also disclaimed its ownership. The
second day OF tho inquest brought out testimony much
more interesting John Larressy, the first witness,
recognized the pole as belonging to the old fire and
the poles Of the old fire telegraph line sold by him
TO Mr. W. f. Coffee. Manager OF the Manhattan Teo-
Nj. William p. Applcbaugh, Superintendent of the
Manhattan Telegraph Company said under oath:-'I
am not aware OF the tact that the company
! represent acquired any lines or poles from
Mr.. Chester. Mr. Coffee the former superin-
tendent refused to turn over the papers to the
superintendent, and IS now under contempt of
Court" The truth Of the that all the old fire
telegraph poles were transferred by the old Fire De-
pariment to Mr. Charles Chester As testified to by
him. he was, by the terms oil his contract to receive
in part payment all the old poles claimed by the Fire
Department ana Herewith undIsputed right OF way on
all the OF said poles also the house
top routes. Mr.. Chester received from Mr. Charles L.
chapin. then SUPERINTENDENT Of the Fire Telegraph,
diagrams of all such pole and housc-top routes,
description Of all the property embraced therein.
copy Of these papers was furnished to the
supplementary contracts between them and
9. r. & j. N. Chester Al the Fire Department the
10 the transfer to Mr.. Chester he sold tho poles
through the agency of Mr. Seidcl 10 Mr.. William +.
Company paid for them to Mr.. Chester thereby
knowlcdgng the ownership OF the old IRE poles
When The reporter spoke TO Mr.. Alfred Nelson, Pres
dent OF the Manhattan Telegraph Company, on this
subj>as he replied -"Mr Coffee may have bought the
old poles but that does not that the
ers OF them. Mr.. Nelson and Mr.. AppIeJaugh will
doubt DC much enlightened to learn that thor
pany bought and paid Tor the poles $780, thus acknow
THE roLxs WE'RE UNSAFE
When the property was turned over to tho Chesters
Me poles were mostly regarded unsafe and IL was
understood that the party who should purchase them
would replace them, the right Of way being tho
pnly value connected herewith. Many OF the old
tn In tha
Of way through OF New York, without any
attempt being made to use them. The Manhattan
Company did replace the old fire poles that
sold them and thus they responsible for any
sden,s that have occurred or may occur from their
Neglect
The reporter having learned all these facts about the
DID fire poles and the Manhattan Company was as much
In the dark as ever regarding the main queston-Who
h responsible for the death OF Mrs McGuire? Night
not that and other similar poles have
ton with the old fire teegraph Is not possible that
The old hre telegraph poles, bought BY the Manhattan
Company, still IN perfectly sound condition?
When tho old poles put there were only three
lines in the city, the FIRE telegraph, the police tee
graph and the American Company. When the Police
Department put up its own lines they waived their
Xmsreon Comnanw so s ines J. the To we.srn pon
and the latter replaced the old polcs by
Therefore the only old poles lot, In city those
to this limo the fatal polo belonged
OWNERSHIP.
More direct proof was needed. Al last the reporter
succeeded Ia learning from . gentleman long In the
telegraph business ana formerly connected with the
Fire Department the following facts-"rhe pole the
corner OF Grand and Suffolk streets undoubtedly
erected 1852 by Mr. Charles Robinson who built
the hrst IRE alarm telegraph IN New York and who was
its superintendent until ls6a When In 1884 the Police
Telegraph lines put operation. OF its wires
was attached TO the same pole. Until the completion
Of the New Fire Alarm system In 1862 the city poles
carried both fire and police and were considered
by the telegraph officials joint property, although
subsequently The Police Department waived It's CLAIM
ihis, II Is Claimed, proves tho Manhattan Company re-
pponsibe Tor the death Mrs Mcclure by thor care
cssness The routes OF the old poles were as foows
FROM City Hall, through City Hall place, Pearl
street, Chatham street. the Bowcry (west sIdel, to
Third avenue, 10 Tween ysccond street, First avenue
10 Grand.
suffolk street. nom Grand To Houston
T. City Hall through Centre and Marion streets to
Spring
g. Spring street. from the Bowery to Macdoural to
Carminc through sixth Thirty second sr rect