The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-19
THE STATE CAPITAL.
senators Investigating the Purposes
Of New York Bills.
IRON TELEGRAPH POLES
Mr.. Orion Declares Them Imprao-
ticable and Unsoientiic
: ELEVATED RAILROAD LAMPS.
An Ingenious Method for Collect
ing Bad Debts.
S HOOL Flu ND S.
An Ingenious Method for Collect
ing Bad Debts.
S Q II DOL F U N D S
Spicy Debate Over the Public
Burdens Bill.

IBy TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.1
ALBANY, April Is, 1878.
The meeting Of the Senate Committee Cities this
afternoon was one OF unusual interest to New York.
era The subjects considered wore Mr.. Astor's Iron
Telegraph Pole BILL the Washington Square bill, bill
for the relief OF contractors In Brooklyn the
Public Burdens bill, tho Fish substitute for the
Salary bill, and the Dock Department bill. All the
members OF the committee present ct ono time
other during the session, but at time was therc
q full attendance, as Senators Harris, Wagner
and jacobs wore mombers Of other committees
In session at the time In adjacent
rooms. In fact 1t is very hard to get full commit
se meeting OF Senator'S now, there thirty hree
committees ana thirsy-two SENATOR'S, and prolonged
discussions and evening leave very little timo
br committee work.
iRos rELEGRAPH POLES
Mr. Ortcn's argument against the Iron Polo bill
Exceedingly interesting. 1t was delivered man.
aer quite unusual among tho statesmen who ordina !.
My crate before committees II they were address
Ing multitude assembled In front OF Cooper Institute
or In Union square. Mr. orion sat at the END OF
she table ana talked 10 the committee more plain,
PRACTICAL business ike sense than has been hoard
here for many DAY. His argument was not only
sensible but scientific, and SO thoroughly fortified by
the latest experiences applied electricity ,nat al
most any professor expert that subject might
have learned something from IL. His fundamen tal
proposition that nowhere In the world iron
telegraph poles used whore wooden pole could be
properly provided and this proposition he proceeded
10 slucidate by giving tho reasons why iron
necessarily Objectionable for that USE
especially under certain atmospheric conditions.
But for these objections iron would naturally
be used In England. where IL would be at least as
cheap as wood for there they have to use American
WOOD every piece OF which has DO art,fc,aIly sea
soned. In the United States poles arc mostly made
Of chestnut and cedar.
IRox DAxGERoUsr
In this branch Mr. Orion gave similar Illustrations
from the experience OF all European countries. The
great objsatson however, to ths Of iron poles In
New York, said Mr.. Orton the fcar that sheir ON
ployment might cripple. or In fact destroy,
tho telegraph system there, which Is the great
est IN the whole world. a. New York IL
the greatest tslssraphle ocntrs. Ono iron pole
the corner Of Twensy -shfrd street and Broadway
which has been for some time on trial Tho men
CHARGED with shs repairs Of that pole complain that
when embracing Il below the crosspieces which sup.
port the insulators and wires they frequently expert
heavy shocks, and on that account always wear
rubber boots and gloves when at work upon it al
though NO sensible Inconvenience to the business
has been experienced from this single POLE these
facts are said Mr.. Ortop, SUFFICIENT TO show that
iron poles are Invitations Tor electricity TO 20
TO GARTH and to give 10 the belief almost certainly
would destroy me Of tho .os
graphic system, especially during damp or rainy
THE IxpoEURorEAs IRON POSTS
Tho principal existing iron pole lines are In certain
parts Of Switzerland aud the Indo European tele-
graphic route, where suitable wood cannot be OBJ
iained. They work without manifest inconvenieuee,
but afford no standard for photographic problem
Ss a. Soupe w ~ S"
there are frequently from sixty 10 ninety wires upon
y pole.
Tho progress OF teiegIaphy a. present, Mr. orion
continued, Is toward underground wires cables,
not really progressive step Tho whole subject, &C
cording 10 Mr. Orion, may be safely trusted to tho
INC srs moro concerned IN the Solution OF inc nrob
lem than uny one else can possibly BE- They hava to
make haste slowly because they know the nature
extent OF the scientific difcuities as Tor instance,
the difficulty OF preserving gutta pcrcha or rubber
ering OF wires 10 dry earth.
WHAT Is Doxg IN LONDON
Dir. orion was sharply questioned by Senator Eccie-
sine to the methods OF supporting elegraphic
in foreign ctisr ana admitted that there was no city
poles erected upon the street OF roadway gencr-
ally used. 10 London the problem was solved BY the
when carry telegraph as well as a rniiroad. Tho
underground roads arc also utilized, and ut
Sarss are reg carried over houses. In New Newer York;
thero Ia method OF obtaining the right vi way
linton Company offered 81, 500 Tor such raS, over
snglo buiiding Franklin square and could not OBJ
tain r. In Para the trunk telegraph ,ines are con-
the wires run behind the curb stones In the hollow OF
The curb
pivrcuLrIxs IN NEW YORK.
II singular, but frue. that the difficulties of any
underground sysssm are grester IN New YORK
~: Other s On esu.s
the streets TO DO crowded With pipes Tor dit
iersnt purposes that there 10 actually scarcely
Hnp nj xuiP flu
pneumatic tube ana cable laid experiment DO.
tween tho ss,srn Union broadway and Broad street
company contemplate placing their wires IN the form
OF cables under all the elevated roads, SO as
Of poles and although. as senator Ecoleslns
suggested, the railroad structures Of iron the
wires eau DO proeced W insulating coverings. The
heretofore protested Against any legislative measure
Il PEELED. for the nrst time, to protest against
Tho CON mittse agreed, after hearing Mr. orion and
appearing In favor OF the bill (aithough Sena.
tor Pomsroy stated tina. Mr.. Astor, its author mad
been notincd) 10 report II adversely TO the Senate
GUARD WASHINGTON SQUARE.
Tho committee next heard Senator wasstsn in ad-
vocacy OF DR.. l. Hayes Washington square
bill Tho Senator saj that the purpose OF the Oil
was SIMPLY 10 guarantee the use OF WASH gton
aucion was tho attempt 10 encroach upon u by tho
erection OF an armory ut tho request, not OF tue Ma
nopcd 20 com mand the First d,vision Il was no.
question oil politics. Every one IN tho Finn Senatorial
district demanded that this breathing place. tho only
vue In the west side OF town between Union square
md the Battery, and the only QUO up
10 Central Park used by tho children of
srtisans, should not be destroyed. There was
lutte a sharp passage between senator Waas,ar and
Senator Ecelesins, who urged with much iorco tina.
The local authorities could safely DO trustcu with
local AFFAIRS That Washington square could In no
event be taken Tor armory use without the consent or
tho Park Commissioners, aud that u was absurd To
pass such law sacredly projecting one part
bark 10 the exclusion Of all others He also cited the
case Of s. JONAS PARK, which had been closed
up entirely In the interest OF = powerful
corporation, and SAID thcro was
son why an ornamental structure should
be erected In the Washington square for the
public good ana safety. To this senator wags,sn re-
piled that 81 Johns Park was never public PARK but
private one, belonging TO owners OF adjacent prop
crty aud thrown open the puvic only ny the cohr
tesy Of It's propretors and It's destruction furnished
an additional argument In favor OF preserving WASH
- ihs committee determined TO report the bill favor.