Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-12
ELECTRICITY. WIRES. POLES, ETC.


The multiplicity of wires and poles for
conducting electricity, that arc going up In
our city now afford ample food for redec-
ton on the best method Of dealing With this
question which claims the attention Of every
city of any considerable size in this country.
The fact that the writer had about foot Of
his left ear paralyzed by the auracular apar-
a.m of the telephone, the other night when
Judge Hill started his electric machine, sug-
gested this subject. If BY any chance the
telephone wires and the electric light wires
should come into contact no mans head
would be safe while using . phone. Apro-
pos of this subject Representative Bond. of
St Louis, introduced . bill in the Missouri
legislature last winter, providing for the 10
moval of all telegraph, telephone and cleo
trio light wires from poles and buildings to
underground channels.
1t provides that no person or persons, or
corporation, shall be allowed TO erect or
maintain on telegraph poles, piers, abut-
ments, wires or other fixtures, upon, along,
or across any of the public roads, streets
and alleys of any city havinga population
of over 100000 people.
OF course, Wichita is not likely TO have
that many inhabitants for several years, but
there is no reason that the writer can see
why q city Of $1,000 to $1,000
would not be affected - seriously from the
causes claimed for the banishing of wires
from above ground in cities Of 100, 900 peo-
pie. A bill of similar character was passed
by the New York Legislature and decided TO
be valid by the supreme court Of that state.
When the electric light question was un-
der consideration in the city council Of this
city, Capt Smyth was laughed at for his
advocacy of some plan TO prevent accidents
to property by the electric wires. or provide
for bond to be given by the grantee Of m
electric light franchise; but Notwithstanding
that the means be proposed were not e1-
actly practical, be was on the right track.
The forests of wires and poles which I'll
many of the streets OF every city of any con-
siderable size, are not only an ohense to the
sight but source Of annoyance and fire.
quen.ly of dAnger. They present one Of
the greatest hindrances to the efficiency of
the fire department, . fact which the 6remen
of any large city will attest, and in case of
electric light the wires are . constant
menace to property and life. Gases Of death
and of the burning Of buildings from con-
tact With electric light wires are Of almost
daily occurrence. A storm which throws
the wire to the ground might easily make it
an instrument of death.
A we'll known electrician says that .
stream of water from hose pipe striking
an abrsded insulation might kill . fireman;
or wet fsg-pole jutting out from build
ing might serve as q conductor for devas-
tsting current, and he goes on farther to
state that security in the case Of electric
light wires. depends upon keeping intact .
slight covering that is swsyed by every
breeze and about which the average person
knows nothing.
Commenting onRepresentative Bonds bill I,
the Globe Democrat bad the following ar
ticle which is pretty sound: "New York
has law ordering that all telegraph, tele-
phophone and electric light wires
in New York City and Brooklyn
shall all be put under ground
by the LIST of next November, or else be torn
down by the city authorities. The passage
of this law filled the managers of the electric
companies with CONSERVATION, and they
have from time to time been loud in their
protestations of their inability to comply
with the order, though protesting themselves
to be only too anxious TO have some feasible
method of doing so. The honesty of these
declarations receives a severe shock now
from two eminent authorities in electricity,
Prof. Bell, who invented the telephone, moi
only believes that every city ought to insist
on the burial of telephone wires, but that
the service would be greatly improved
while Sir VIM. Thompson, in an elaborate
report upon the telegraph services, A.
firms as the result of his experiments
that there is no doubt whatever that any
amount of traffic could be worked through
system of underground wires at the usual
rates of hand sending. The cost of MAIN
tanning underground wires would compare
favorably with that of aerial lines, though
the first expense would of course be vastly
greater. But on the other hand, under
ground wires will be almost free from inter-
ruptions due TO storms, or extremes Of cold
or heat, whereas aerial lines. however well
constructed, must always be subject to in
jury from wind, snow and extreme cold"
This article is written more with view
of warning people to be careful about mon
keying with the electric wires than with any
serious intention of Influencing legislation
to compel putting tho wires under ground.