New-York tribune., 1888-08-31
WANTED--AN INSULATOR.
ELECTRICIANS AT A STAN TILL.
rHp ONE OBSTACLE YET uNsURMo TED IN
THE WAY or UNDERGROUND s.


THE WAY or UNDERGROUND
The semi. annual convention Of the Esfio1 iecu1c
Lint Association continued Its deliberations ~ the
ants pruus vtck vestcrday. President Duncan called
tho convention to order promptly ~ ~ '5o D. m, ana
after tho reading Of several announcements ana COM
munications, A. r. Foote offered resolution that
Mayor Hewitts speech Of the preceding day DO pub
lishcd in pamphlet form for distribution throughout
tho country Several delegates spoke In favor Of the
notion, and said that Mayor Hewitts presentation Of
tho present status Of the electric wire subway question
was the strongest and best that had been made
The convention unanimously adopted tho resolution.
and tho presidents speech will be printed in the
cover with that Of the Mayor.
The subject Of placing electric light wires under
ground then taken up tho discussion being begun
BY papcs on Tho Conductors OF New-York" by 8. 6.
wheeler the expert Of tho Board Of Electrical Control
The paper was long, and filed with techncaltcs. 1t
treated Of the various experiments which have been
great network OF pipes which underes New-Yorks
Streets and because of tho gases which impregnate
the soil In consequence Of them. Mr. wheeler do
scribed the tunnel OF Paris which he considered
tho best possible for all the purposes Of sewage
and water and telegraph telephone and electric light
wires.
HOW THEY DO IT IN PARIS.
crosssection drawing OF ono OF these tunnels was
exhibited, showing arched roof twelve feet high,
with level floor either side Of deep gutter in
tho CENTRE This gutter Is the course for sewage, and
track which consists Of rail ON either side OF tho
gutter run with drag attachment. which
cleans the sewer. Along tho sides and roof of the
tunncl Is ample room for all requisite pipes and
electrical conductors While this was undoubtedly the
best and most satisfactory system, on account OF the
facility with which workmcn could operate iu laying
repairing pipes wires Its cost would DO SO great
Is TO preclude from consideration at this time, but
Mr. Wheeler thought likely that great tunnel ior
txAf
at no distant day, whom all the machinery OF the city
will bs run by electricity. The drawing-in' system,
which is now being experimental With, MT wheeer
said was the next best known, ana would no doubt
b. employed as 1t Is al present in most American cities
where the wires pScd under ground, until better
system found to be practicable
The discussion which followed showed that the cblci
difficulty Is an insulator which will answer all the
purposes of underground electric wires This, accord
ing to many prominent the one great prob
lem upon which all else depends Tho next paper was
wholly technical. and contained little that the u-
scientific reader could understand The terms used
werc the new of the electric world which sound
10 the unintatcd a good deal like voapuk. 1t was
on Disruptivo Discharges In Underground Cables,'
by E. G. Achcson leading young electrician OF Pltts
burg. lie looks like very young man, but the paper
was based upon his own experiments, and was val
liable contribution TO electric literature hearty
round Of applause greeted Mr. Acheson at the close o
derground cables subjected is OF the chief di
culties In the way of a satisfactory subway SYSTEM
this paper the topic Of much discussion
EXPERIMENTS MUST PROVE IT.
Other papers were read by II. C.. Chenoweth, T. c.
Smith and A. J. Do Camp, of Philadelphia, Mr.. Sonne,
OF Chicago and several others, but there appeared TO
be q general admission when all was sa q, that 'ha
question of insuaors and dsrupve discharges has yot
to be solved by practical experiments The argt
rnents went to show that the w.rcs may at present
be put under ground great expense, with certain
amount of success, but nothing that approaches
cheap practicable and wholly satisfactory system has
yet been discovered.
Ex.Coycrnor Alolzo b. Cornell yesterday addressed
letter TO Mayor Hewitt the electric light propem
and the operation Of h glension circuits lie taxes
the ground that tho only practicable remedy ior re-
ovinr tho danger of high tension circuits, now men,
srinc the o and property Of cit zcns Is to aDsoiutey
prohibit their use within tho city limits me Only
rrss asSn the es says they find them
moro profitable than those of low tension. ne asks s
the Mayor to give bis AID IN or'Vns '"'' 'u' -
At the invitation Of the okanite Company the ohi,
sited AT The BROADWAY Theatre last night and enjoyed
the musical and spectacular beauties OF the "Sueens
appropriate as /, Is lighted throughout by ciectr c
Among those who were peselt were fresosn n, Mnscs -
Duncan HoEr,sSp r.; E weeks: e r Lynch " r, Ridon 4 6.
s. Smith i'iF and F. T. peck Tho party numbered nearly
COO and made enthusiastic aud tors
At the close of tho performance the delegates
assembled at the Electric Club, No. II East Twenty
secondst, where q supper was served, and "Ihe
Queens Mate and oihcr topics discussed until an
carly hour this morning.
NON. UNION BREWERS HOLD PICNIO.
The non-union brewers had their annual gala des
the parade ard picnic Of their relief society
attracting as usual large number OF peasureseckers
About forty companies numbering probably 3ooo