Telegram-herald., 1889-04-18

Exc f/ax ecenes II the Streets II
E1s YORK
eYEEHElD sUlS,yCES DgSTRoYEn
ss-ny alles t-sessie. rs-sgr.ph aad
<eie.s hsas Il 50 e-s I'D t-friea A~sy
- lhs A-eisig4l Asth01ftlss-
Cfen4s fle. tls NTer&

hsH 4as4 ANfll 81 -f blfs hat- tt-l
r ~ ia rhe streets e- She city Pc pls
4sd s .Ies sre falling a. is- Afl-E n-ats
,laa -so years -i-AeElue leraeea -as ss-
tllsI. tes aal lle telegraph rel-f hone sn3
elellie ae-t coll ualies t-e IeuIofA- e t-s
cgerle14 wines ana poles in t1c subway
a-s-Ele. nss bss1M Iae coiapanies
leasAr fog delay 20 tls bitter cl1
lhe Western Union IelegrapA company
1ielt sarreltcr until lL haJ eEpe4leG ~
taa lnt-et States courts 90 prevent Aasor
Gran. lI9ll ilsllus ths order taxing 4vu y
Iae vtTes au- po-es Judge Wallace
crGe- lissolslly TIE Injunction against Tie
ia4yor lett tle companies $40 -ts ~ stand
oa aul u oaly awaited tie receipt az tie
Ja.ige order for the removal of the wiles
aLd poles % begin L-l.y on Tues
d8y co4nssl Tor Ito board of elec-
trcI control wen. 10 the mayor
01iee, taking with HIN a ceruEed copy or
judge W4laces order Mayor Grant was
not present. but Commissioner Glbbens and
Expert Wheeler OF the board oi electrical
control were there awaiting It's arrival
Secretary Grain handed Commissioner Glib
bens an ordor signed by Mayor Grant. di-
reoting tho commissioner Of public works
70 remove poles and wires from the streets
mentioned IA tho order
Mr. Gibbens served the order on Commits
sIonef smith about 10 o'clock. and ths latter
at ones summoned superintendent John
Richardson OF tho bureau OF incumber-
nnces Commissioner GlbDens and Expert
Wheeler left at once for the scene OF de-
strucJion, followed shortly after by super
intended Richardson. Together with spurs
for the climbers the workmen took with
them axes piucheTs, hatchets and reach
trucks the latter 10 be used IN taking away
the poles cut down and wires cut on
The pole on the southeast corner OK Uni
versity place aud Fourteenth street was the
scene OF the first attack The foreman mad
his spikes on, and in q few minutes. with
nippeTs ia hand, he quickly climbed the
pole while a gaping crowd gathered
around Commissioner G!bbens, who was
on hand aud wondered what was going 10
happen. The nippers were put in use and
Western Union wire dropped into the
street This Mas followed by others, until
twelve wires had been rendered useless.
The work or clearing the pole was accom-
plished in six minutes and the pole was al
lowed 10 remain standing % support the
now useless wires running south
The other geng Of workmen began clear
Ing the heavily laden poles OF tho Brush
Electric Light Company, starting with the
pole on the northwest corner OF Fourteenth
street and Broadway. When the cutters
began work it was found that not
withstanding the notice given the diff
ferent companies affected by the move
OF the board OF electrical control
10 cut off the electric currents, the Brush
Company had left fve circuits in full work
ing order. The linemen. however, We're
fully prepared for this difficulty, and wore
rubber gloves. As the nippers went through
the wires there was fash that made the
crowd below step aside ia lively fashion and
which proved that the powerful cur
rents for arc lightning were turned full
on the wires Commissioner GIbbens. who
stood on the street below watching the
work. became Indignant why, they want
to Kill our men. This is outrageous he
exclaimed He said that word had been
sent TO the Brush company that the wires
were 20 be cut, with the request that the
circuit which included these lines should
be turned off.
IL about ten minutes the eighteen cleo
tric light wires running north on Broadway
were rendered useless. The crowd grew
larger as the people realized that the war
ON the wires had begun, and fully a thou
sand throHged the space around the
statue Of Lincoln While this work
was in progress the other gang had
cleared the second Western Union
pole, which stood in the park a
few yards above Fifteenth street u was a
long pole, and rs the lineman descended
from his perilous position 1t swayed At
at moment the street WAS crowded with
people and vehicles OF all kinds but few OF
81. -
threatened 4 cracking sound was
the only note OF warning heard,
but it was sufficient FOR the throng.
which scattered almost instantly. The
pole. with its half dozen cross arms. topped
over just as a Broadway car was standing ct
the street crossing to allow woman to get
of 4 cry of mingled warning and horror
went up from the crowd as the pole in
ciincd toward the car. which had
about fifteen passengers on board
mostly women. The driver saw
his danger. and with a single bound
jumped from his car Just rs the pole crashed
O. the ground. the part bearing the cross
arms falling between the dashboard OF the
car and the horscs-a narrow escape foI
passengers. horses and car. The horse.
started to run, but the lumber impeded their
progress and the dTiver soon had them
under control Two women tainted. and
the remaining passengers. men and women
fed terror stricken from the car The pole
30 was discovered was rotten at the base
bat the wOrAmcu were careless in starting
the work
The only poles left standing by The work
men were those which held the fire de-
partment wirca These viii be removed hs
the department this week The commits
/ fi1ners expect that by saturday night the
streets designated will bo entirely free
from overhead wires
The c-eltric-,ght. telegraph and telo
phone people IRE helpless and say that thcJ
can only grin and beas it
Madison and Cuicn squares usually aftcl
r'-ltfel tno brightest and Caye-t local.
ties in tho city. were Tuesday night IN
e aou Within tie squares there Wal
ro ticker of nr1t and tho tramr
urrn the vofk benches were less fre
oaen.'v 5is.lrbs0 in siu1aher Iae cuI'
+ illumination 90 these great pIc7as wa
i from lamps n tae side streets where cir
+ c1+s hasa not been cgt of t-as iet~ flick
F cref along ths tr1f cfthe road % Broadway
f tat .0 the cToss Sf-eets where theI rs bal
BEEN cas there ras ah7olt3 oa1A1-s
c.riy in the night so that la foEr
tcentl. Twenty third snd FortF-ee cont
s.rees pedestrians D.cScd their ra
ftel only hV taa d1z@1 e'are in tt
ssv against which tle trssr-rrs lres
dark ssa 'sr1el Ears Ffh avenue va
dark 81 q country saect an. fey pscrl
were ssr tFCu .t
Fer-y-n-.f uarned.
vrv YORK srr1 r. Tie ferry Boar rsv
nrrrs.ttr'r ~ Che F--r.r rEr.a IA .rr.-