New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-18
RARE WIRE PULLING.
DRAGGING THEM DOWN FOR BURIAL.
THE ELECTRIC COMPANIES, HAVING TESTED
HIS TEMPER, TAKE DOWN THEIR OWN
CABLES TO SAVE COMPLICATION.

GABLES TO SAVE CONVERSATION
Two hundred thousand feet of telephone. telegraph
and electric light wires were removed from poles In the
subway district of the city between a. m and $3.50
p. N. yesterday. and over seventy poles during the
same time were cut down. OF the wires removed
100000 feet belonged to the Western Union Metro
politan Telephone and the electric light companies ana
was removed by the men employed by the Department
OF Public Works. The remaining 100000 feet wes
cut down and taken away by men employed BY the
Brush Electric Light and the United states Illum4-
mating companies. OF the poles removed forty-two
were cut down by the department and the rest By
employees Of the United States Illuminating Company.
broadway is now almost clear OF poles and wires
fron Fourteenth 70 Twentyffh SITS. as IS sxth.avc
nom Twenty-third to Twenty eighth sts. while
Twonty-f is entirely and Twenty thirdst par
tally clear between Broadway and sixth-ave. AS a
result Of the removal Of electric light wiros 4o9 arc
lamps extlnguished again last night. leaving In
almost complete darkness large number Of uptown
streets. No electric lights were In use IN Ftfth-ave
from Twenty -etghth-st TO Ffty-ninth: In broadway
from Fourteenth 10 FiftY-nlnth In Seventh and Fourth
ayes. between Eighteenth and Fifty-ninth In First
ave. from Forty sevenh TO Fiftyninth nor In Four
teenth Twenty-thlyd, Thirty fourth, Fortysecond or
Fifty ninth SITS This applies only to lamps used for
lighting the streets The Brush and East River COM
panes able to make the necessary connections,
and had a few commercial lights going on the south
side OF Fourteenth-st. and In Fourth-ave.
In anticipation OF another night Of darkness, tho
Bureau Of Lamps and Gas made strenuous efforts 10
get the gas lamps all streets north of Fourteenth TO
Twenty fifth between Broadway and Sth-ave.. ready
for use, and at nightfall majority Of them had been
fitted With globes and were lighted The contrast
between the yellow, hokering glow Of the gasets In
the streets north of Fourteenth. and the brilliant glare
OF the electric lights in instances by local plants
In the big hotels, wns striking. The appearance OF
Broadway in daylight, in tho section from which poles
and wires have been removed is also much changed
and decidedly for tho better. Looking south from
Twenty nfth-st, the thoroughtare seems clean and
Clear while glance to the northward. where the poles
and wires remain TO illustrate by contrast how
bad condition the street has been In
MAKING AN EARLY START.
Tho work Of carrying out the Mayors order calling
for the removal Of the poles and wires was resumed at
o'clock yesterday morning, when force Of men EN-
ployed BY the Department Of Public Works began
cutting down the poles in Broadway sa Twcntiethst
Early as was the hour the operations OF the city force
had been anticipated by over an hour by the Brush
and United States Companies. Gangs Of men en-
pioyed by those companies were working
before o'clock removing wires from
Forty-second-st southwark In Broadway and
six;h-ave. and norhward In both thoroughfares
from Twenty hfhst This the result Of the shock
that these companies felt when they realized, from the
operations OF the day BEFORE that the wires were 40
tuaIly coming down from the poles, whether they
would work underground not As soon, therefore,
they recovered from tho shock, they proceeded 70
save the hundreds Of miles OF valuable copper wire
which the city authorities conhscatng as they
went along, and by working ahead OF the city forco
they not only facilitated tho Abors Of the latter but
prevented the loss OF much valuable property TO them
selves The Brush Company, however, confined Itself
to removing wires and did not attempt to cut down
any poles The United states Companys force
cleared away both poles and wires, for which the city
men grateful.
when the work began for the day the-streets were
comparatively deserted by both pedestrians and
vehicles and the wormen, not being obliged To take
so much precnution, made rapid progress toward
Twenty thrd-st. AS fast the wires were cut from
the poles It was wound In COILS the poles wcrc cut
down, and both wire and poles were csrted away In
tho departments wagons. TWenY-thirdst was
reached By IL o'clock aud then the force separated one
wing working toward sIxthaye on Twenty+hrd
and the other IN Broadway, toward Twenty-nfth All
Of the electric light poles and wires the south side
Of Twenty third 81. quickly cut down and eartod
away, the operations Of the men being watched by
crowds Of shoppers In front OF the gnyly decorated
store windows Every care was taken TO prevent
accidents, and no one was injured so far as known.
few of the Western Union Company's big poles In
Madison Square were allowed TO stand because they
carry fire alarm wires, but these win be removed and
they VIII be cut down within few days.
STOPPING THE TIoREBS
The Gold and Stock Company suffered severely BY
the wirecutting all Of its tckers above Fourteenth
st. on the West Side having been rendered useless. The
company is operated by tho Western Union under
a long lease superintendent Humstone said yes
ierdAy that the Gold and Stock Company had been
treated unustly by the Board Of Electrical Control
Il had laid a cable in Broadway last February, and
had applied for subsidiary ducts, which the Board had
not granted. BE thought II unjust 70 the company
to destroy It's facilities before providing It with
others. The telephone wires In Twenty. thrdst we're
allowed to remain for a few, days, as tho company
will be able 20 dispense with their use within week.
There Is no public subway In the street for telephone
and telegraph wires. The Western Union operates
It's own conduit, and the telephone company will os.
tablIsh . distributing system from the sl1th'ave.
cables Tho conduits In Twenty thrd-st. are, there
fore, for electric light wires exclusively. Tho tce.
graph and telephone companies win not DO seriously
affected by tho raid on thb poles and wires undl
operations begin in the downtown sections.
Colonel ". L. Strong, representing the Brush Com;
pany, called on the Mayor yesterday and explained
that tie current was allowed to remain on tho wires
while they were being removed on Tuesday. Colonel
The end Of the Brush cable at Broadway and Thirty
fourthst to Thlry-hfth.st In order 70 connect with
Wheeler and Engineer Kearney, Of the Board Of Ecc
trical Control Endorsed the application, but the Mayor
refused IT, saying that the wires were going down, not
The work Of removing the poles and wires will be
resumed In broadway and sixth-ave this morning.
Several hotels and clubs supplied by the United
States Illuminating Company had to resort to last
night. The East River Company also had TO give up
their limo In Sxth-ave, between Twenty thcst. AMI
Thirty third ST.. but cable has been prepared and To-
night the lights will probably DO going again. II IS
probable that a number OF hotels and clubs supplied
by the United States Company will be cut on
tonight. and although this company is now work
Ing hard TO get It's wires underground IL may DO two
weeks yet before 10 is In good shape again. In order
70 allow the men to work late as possible some OF
the companies delayed turning on the currents until
they were cut OF until surprised by sudden burst
Of light The temporary Inconvenience was generally
borno with equanimty, however, and the gas-men
expressed hearty approval OF the situation.
REPUBLICANS WILL ORGANIZE TONIGHT.
This Executive Committee OF the Republican County
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