National Republican., 1888-03-16
TIE DISTRICT WIRES.
An Appropriation Asked to Put
Them All Underground.
Hon.. &. Clements has been sent the to
loving letter by the commissioners

Hon. !. &. Cltmeuts has been sent the FOL
lowing letter by the commissioners
The commissioners ofthc District Of Column
bia beg leave tOrcCOmmeul an increase III the
estimate for putting District telegraph aud
telephone wires underground see BOOK oil
estimates, page ?22l from s2o,QO 70 s5I,DyV, as
they consider II, after careful consideration,
Highly desirable that this increased alnDlnt
should lie expended for this purpose during
the coming year
by air lines and partly by lines underground.
The great advantages of the underground sys'
ten are obvious, but there are dincntles In i.s
emplo, mcnt which have made ii neCess lry TO
proceed with caution IN its extension. Never
ihCleSs, 1t has been the policy OF the District
gUyelnmt mt to place It's wires underground as
raj idly rs CIRCUMSTANCES would permit. NJ
the nrCs nj time there are about twenty-five
miles OF wire undcrgr uud IN he District, some
Of thum having been iu pnsiiion AMI IN use iur
e. qsi Ne ye9hrSi MN tneG
is successful and satisfactory 50 far as the put.
poses OF the District gOyernmen. are concerned. Z.
ESIefitnCe With overhead wires during the
ret cnt violent storm emphasizes The necessity
OF placing our wires underground us rapidly
NJ possible, The safety of the city Of Wash
irlt, II depends in high dcrt"e upon these
communications, aud uules, they nrc under
ground, beyond the iulIeuCe OF Storme, they
nr" always liable to interruption during VIC
Int weather.
The dutteu line in red from police hpRdquat-
ter, corner Oi Filth aud ID streets RiOng u
street to Thirteenth, thence along Thirteenth
from ID to |. streets, thence along ]. from Thir'
iccHth To gw'ntiCth streets, thence along
Twentieth from ]. tOK streets, thence along X
/ to Twcuty.seuOud street thence along Twenty
/ second to NJ street, thence along " IL No .
engine house, lear Thirty spCord street,
, Geo getOwn, and on Twenty. .vignth street
! uom VI to q streets, thence along D TO Thirty
1 second street, Georgetown, Is the mir l'uu
! which il il proposed to place under ground
/ daring The coming year, should funds be pro
! viitd lpUn close estimate TINS WORK vii
| cost $50 600. The poles along these lines are
| old and nearly uuserviceablc. Moreover tn,
! tfces along the route have Rttaired such
| height Rk to Interfere seriously with the ser
vice. II the air line is continued the poe
| musr all be renewed during the coming year
| ut considerable expense. Under these
| circumstances II is desirable that the
| line shonld he nut underground as soon ms
possible. and II ~ not desirable to attempt les
| than Is here recommended. since the George
town end of the line is especially in urg"n
| need OF enewal
In conclusion 1t may be well to remark tina
| although the system OF undergroundini
adoI ted may not in all respects be aoapted u
The general use ofprivRie lines, IL employmcn
for Disric, purpo'es will in no way interier
with the future introduction Of n general sys
ten of fnndcrrronnuing for ali te!cgrr ph an,
| telephone wires in the District
TliE $1,000 house OiomRr Fair.