New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-13
FIGHTING DEADLY WIRES,
INJUNCTIoNS OBTAINED BY FOUR COM,
PANIES.
EXPERT WHEELER FORCED INTO AcrIoNrHR
MAYOR TAKES A. FIRM STAND AND
WANTs so NoNsENsE.

granted two temporary in1unc noTs Yesterday, re-
strainng the Mayor tho Board Of Electrical Control
| and Commissioner Of Public Works Giroy from com.
p3llng the United States Illuminating Company and
the Brush Electric Illuminating Company to shut OH
thoir currents, from interfering with their wires and
from doing other acts under pretended authority
conacrred by certain resolution of the Board Of
Electrical Control, in pretended pursuance OF said
resolution
Evarts Choate & Beaman obtained the Injunction on
behalf of the Brush Company, and Carter Hughes &
Cravath for THE United States Company. Similar in
functions also obtained from Judge Andrews by
Charles F. O'Connor behalf of the Manhattan
Electric Light Company, Limited, and the Harlem
| Lighting Company. These last two were granted by
Judge after he had left bench aud was In
| hs private room.
| INJUNCTIONS SERVED on THE COMPANIES.
Although by means recovered from the attack
OF Illness which confined him 10 his bed on Friday
Mayor Grant arrived at his office yesterday before 10
o'clock, prepared to push forward with vgor whatever
lawful might be determined upon for az ,rt
ing the dangers to which the people OF New-York are
exposed the death dealing OF the electric
| light companies. After consultation with Corporation
Counsel Clark Commissioner Gllroy ard other prom-
nent officials Of the city, the Mayor decided that an
Immediate meeting Of the Board of Electrical Control
was necessary, and its members summoned by
telephone 10 come TO the Mayors office at once The
Board assembled at II :45 a. m and the Mayor as he
took the chair said We have but a. quarter Of an
hour in which to do business. The question of its
| legality might be raised to any action taken after
12 O'Clock, this is a halfhoHday' Mr.. Clbbens
proposed the legislative OF turning back the
clock but Mr. Grant refused accede TO the sugges
ton. The following report of Electrical Expert
! Wheeler was read:
with relation to the notice served by the Board
upon the electric lighting companies, have to report
| As stated at the meeting Of the board on Thurs
day am unable without larger force that that at
| for electric lighting IS in proper condition On the
Other hand am able to inform you & that todac not
lighting companies have operated since the receipt Of
that notice wires known to be fmpertecty insulated
states Companies Their stations are are situated at the
and No. 41e East Twenty ninthst D. The he, inclosed lose,
memorandum shows that certain OF their Wtrns speci
contrary to the rules and regulations Of the Board
The Mayor wanted 10 know If these two companies
were the only using improperly insulated wires.
Mr. Wheeler said not but they owned nlneteen-twen-
tiehs Of such wires. So far he had been able to
discover he said that such wires theirs.
FIXING THE RESPONSIBILITY.
"Are the recent deaths chargeabe to their wires7'
asked the Mayor.
! They are,7 the answer.
| "Then" returned Mr.. Grant, Tuesdays case Chat
Of Charles Erdmann) has not been called TO your at
tenton.7
| have Investigated IT," Mr wheeler sad, " ana
believe that a Brush wire the of Erdmanns
DEATH
| "The Coroner's Jury may find differently"
| the MAYORS causttc answer. 81 propose TO give
ord.,s 10 the Commissioner Of Public Works that all
! wires not Properly insulated shall be cut down"
"That IS the only way,7 put in Commissioner Hess.
Mayor Grant said that he did not wish to have any
two companies designated, in the experts report
! but TO attack all dangerous wires He would offer
resolution that the engineer OF the Board be prepared
on Monday to present plan for subways to coves as
! much Of the city possible.
You mean electric light subways.' said Mr.. Hess.
"Ycsn said the Mayor 3" The Others can walt.
Their wires are a Disagreement rather than danger"
Addressing Comm ssl0ner GilrOy, Of the Department
OF Public Works. who an Interested looAer-oh at
the meeting the Mayor said, glancing at The CLOCK
There is no time to draft order in specific terms
but I now direct you to cut down and remove such
electric wires as have been operated in Violation OF
the law and the rules Of the Board"
"Woud II not be better TO designate the wires ln-
cluded in the order 21 asked Mr. Glroy.
aTbe expert of tho Board will designate the wires"
! the Mayor replied
Corporation Counsel Clark asked If this was uno
! order Of the Board.
! aNos answered the Mayor at is my order
! Rut the Board WILL think approve"
Commissioners Hess. Gib5cns and Moss said In one
! breath, Yes, approve
Most Of the electric Hight representatives. suiIUeu
for the door, almost falling over each other IN her
! race to their Offices to report the news h~per'
! wheeler was authorized 70 hire such assistance d.
! he might require h designating the wires to be Gus
down and resolution was adopted making the Boards
| approval Of the Mayors order a matter OF recoiu.
Expert Wheeler thought, the work OF cutting uo"H
1--we wires was dangerous, notice ought 10 DC scnI W
the companies to shut off their currents Nr. 1r@h'
concurred in the suggestion In answer 10 Coh
missioner Gilroy's inquiry Mr.. Wheeler said that nc
WAS ready 10 20 at the business of Designating tHo
,yires IN he cut down al once and was about gong
out with the Commissioner when the Mayor s'oPP0u
him to inquire what he had discovered aoou' 'no
! horrible accident OF Friday
! Mr. Wheeler said that the pole on whch ~ hdu
occurred supported principally telegraph wires WIN
! t,, Ieo,,ic royrer ,vircs situated a few feet below
them lie had gone 40 the plant of the power coiu-
many and found that their current generated oy du
| Edison dynamo was not dangerous 10 INC n" -
had discovcrod loon of the United States Illuminating
Comuany,s wire wihir half stretch OF the poie' anu
thought # likely that the wire that teeL' 'ooA !"
/ bi. hand might have saggcd aud crossed thls one
Mayor Grant asked with asperiU how inc power
/ ,yir,e cot an that pole Mr.. Wheeler coud ho' Ceh
whether there was permit for theH' OF "he'H'l
they had been pIn up before the perhll sl 'o" Vai'
in vogue There a report ne sal,' 'i'' H" 4",
mans test box had once been burned OUT on 'h'
pole. and he added that the 'ahshhs u u'I W.
in gettina the body down. together with the lack Oh
tmc had prevented him foin m"Aine 10
| investigation as he wished -,
Mr. Grant expressed some surprise 'h"' ~ NUN
| information should come 10 nm ana ~ i'." ~
Expert Wheeler adding expect fuller report Ho'i
| ,.. Nc ,beelsr. this is not satisfactory. II you
are pressed for time you must get help ..a.
Mr.. wheeler said that he did nor call 1t salts
,,o,,,,, rsn,rt or indeed any report as yet There
vcr wres Of different and different companies
on The POLE increasing the dimcuiV'
THE BOARD MEETS A sNAG.
Tho Boarrt Adjourned to meet at II 4, NJ To-
marrow and tho crowd in the Mayors once was
rapidly dispensing whom Commissioner Ollroy came
| back In q hurry aud almost ou' VI o'e"n' SA''"s'
| - g., informed that an injunction order has