, 1880-08-01
UNDERGROUND WIRES.
What Supt. Barrett, Of the Fire Alarm,
Thinks OIL The Subject.

What Supt, Karrett, Of the Fire Alarm,
Thinks OIL The Subject.
The Journal stated Friday evening TINT the
Western Untou Telegraph Company was taxi
Ing OF putting $40 wires underground for the
min Office In Chtcugo. On Inquiry made at the
Offices Of that corporation by u TRIBUNE re-
porter, it was asccrtatned that the statement
was not correct. Tho Company recognizes the
necessity, some time or other, Of getting Its
city wires under ground, and has been
conducting series Of experiments with
snht as s sesebca eT in as as rkISSSs
sometime ago. hus been tested, and is still test
ing, but no deiint result has yet been arrived nt
1n case It should be decided to lny wires under
ground. tho first experiment Will undoubtedly be
1nade between here and Grand Crossing, for that
is the point from which u large number OF WIRES
branch out IN various directions.
Tho following is u conversation which Jour-
nal reporter had with Superintendent 5arrett+
OF tho Fire Aiuru,. US to what hc was doing In
tue WY of bury'ns his wires Tho supert''-
II believe we will have to come to it before
long, aud wc ought TO. find that the principal
portion Of tho Iclcgruph wircs In the lcnd.ng
cities Of Europe are laid underground. and Il
the City OF London during 1873 there were 35W
miles Of underground wire belonging TO the
dute all OF the wires were underground. In
Germu1y there arc several underground tele-
graph wires that run from one ely to anqIher.
For instance, berlin is connected with Ham
burg, Aiuyence, Strasburg, Cologne, aud many
other ett!es y unaersroana telegraph tue en-
How arc these wires 1aia?"
"By the system Of underground cables: In
nearly ail the large cities Of Europe neither
tuin from tive TO seven conductors each, insr,,
iarell with ElttA perchn. the whole protected
with ar nrn,s,r Of iron wires"
How about its cost and rclinbHity!
''This system has shown itself i'll practice TO
be both economical and reitullc. Some OF the
working lines III Paris have been buried foE
.fix.n MI htlin Ena n "a
little ur no expense. i ntn now experimenting
on several different kinds Of underground cable
to e iss1 us
has shetr practicabIhey ever neen aenoo-
The Professor here turned to small pamphlet
and said: "Hcre are so,ue figures showing the
cities III Europe having their hre-ular1n wires
underground, with the nA,ne Of the city and the
feet; Amsterdam. 235,UaU; Berlin, TBS 00o; Stet-
tin. 17,U55: MudEebnrg: 1860: Hamburg, 15l,G5l;
Cologne, Is, ,6s6: dusseldorf, :1Sss; Leipsfc, 81
54O; Dantzig, 2,iat, London, 155,6iu.
= So yon see,'' resumed Prof. Barrett, "that
we In Chicago nro entirely
REHISD THE TIMES.
believe that we have the only fire alarm cable
in America here, but there is only 4 mile OF it.
1t.was put down on the North Side, and IS q
great success
Besides tho advantages given to citizens by
putting wires underground. are there any TO to
gained by your DepArtn1ent!'
"Therc are mnny advantages In the use OF
es Of Spfs IN pher ose e. tn
absolute freedom from sudden md unexpected
interruptions. owing to high winds. storms, hres,
aecunYlatiors ; ;si OF tee anu sieef' ETC.
Yes, and trees. for more escapes are caused
on line by trees thun anything else, uS rale.
many branches. Hence complaints. Besides,
thcre is tile CONSEQUENT freedom from the cost
nnd trouble Of rspa WhSh s wfs as pes
manner. are Of frequent occurrence. Interrupt