St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-17
WOpkmen in Great Peril From
Brush Electric Light
Currents.
Narrow Escape Of Street Car
Passengers From a Fall
ing Pole.
Exciting and Ludierous In.
eidentS Of the War on
the Wires.

ering between the authorities and the
telegraph, telephone and electric light
companies, the removal of the overhead
wires and poles in the subway district
was begun to-day. The companies
fought for delay to the better end. The
Western Union Telegraph company,
acting like drowning person catching
at straw, didn't surrender until it
had appealed to the United States
courts to prevent Mayor Grant from
issuing the order taking down the wires
and poles. Judge Wallace's order dis
solving the injunction against the mayor
left the companies no leg to stand on,
and it only awaited the receipt of the
judges order for the removal of the
wires and poles to commence. Early to-
day counsel for the board of electrical
control went to sthe mayors Office.
bringing with him certified copy Of
Judge Wallace's order. Mayor Grant
was not present, but Commissioner Glib
bens and Expert Wheeler, ofsthe board
of electrical control, were there waiting
its arrival. Secretary Crane handed
Commissioner Gibbens an order signed
by Mayor Grant, directing the commits
sioner of public works to remove poles
and wires from the streets
IN THIS ORDER:
Beginning on Broadway, at the inter-
section of Fifty-fOurth street, and to
continue up Broadway to Twenty third
street; then on Twenty-third street,
from Twenty-third street to Twenty
fifth street: then OH Twenty-fifth street.
from Broadway to Sixth avenue; then
on Sixth avenue, from Twenty-third
street to Fifty-eighth street; then on
Broadway, from Twenty-fifth street to
FOrty-fifth street: then on Forty-second
street, from Sixth Avenue to Madison
avenue; then on Fifty-eighth street,
1t was twenty minutes past 10 o'clock
when MI. Gibbons served the order on
Commissioner Smith. The latter at
once summoned Supt. John Richardson,
of the bureau of encumbrances. Com
missioner Wheeler and Expert Wheeler
left at once for the scene of destruction,
followed shortly after by Supt. Richard
son. Together with spurs for the
climbers, the WOrkmen took with them
axes, pinchers. hatchets and reach
trucks-the latter to be used in taking
away the poles cut down and wires cut
off. The pole on the southeast corner
of University place and West Four
teenth street was the scene of
THE FIRST ATTACK.
The foreman had his spikes Oh, and in
a few minutes, with nipperS in hand,
he quickly climbed the pole, while a
gaping crowd quickly gathered around
Commissioner Gibbons, who was on
hand, and wondered what was going to
happen. The nippers were put in use.
and a Western Union wire dropped
into the street. This was followed by
others until twelve wires had been rem
dered useless. The work of clearing
the pole was accomplished in six
minutes, and the pole was allowed to
remain standing to support the now
useless wires running south. Then
the forces were divided. One section
crossed into the park, where stood
a pole on the northerly lines of
the Western Union. 1t was soon
cleared of wires, and at LIS the axe
men had laid the pole lengthwise. The
other gang of workmen began clearing
the heavily laden poles Of the 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, Notwithstanding the notice given
the different companies affected by the
move of the board OF electrical control
to cut off the electric current, the Brush
company had left five circuits in full
working order. The linemen, how
ever, were fully prepared for this diff
ficulty, and wore rubber gloves. AS
the nippers went through the wires
THERE WAS A FLASH
that made the crowd below step aside
in lively fashion, and which proved
that the powerful currents for arc light
ing were turned full on the wires. Com
missioner Gibbons, who stood Oh the
street below watching the work, be-
came indignant. why, they want to
kill our men: this is outrageous" he
been sent to the Brush company that
the wires were to be cut, with the re-
quest that the circuit which included
those lines should be turned off. ct is
a fortunate thing that the inspectors
have their rubber gloves" continued
the commissioner, las otherwise the
currents in the wires they cut would
have instantly killed them" In about
ten minutes the eighteen electric light
wires running north on Broadway
were rendered useless. The crowd
became much larger as the people
realized that the war on the wires had
begun, and fully 1000 thronged the
space around the statue of Lincoln.
While this work was in progress the
other gang had cleared the second West
ern Union pole, which stood in the
park few yards above Fifteenth street.
1t was long pole, and as the lineman
descended from his perilous position, it
swayed. AT that moment the street
was crowded with people and vehicles
of all kinds, but few of the spectators
realized the danger threatened. A
cracking sound was the only notice of
warning heard, but it was sufficient for
the throng, which scattered almost in
stantly. The pole, with its half dozen
cross arms, toppled overjus as Broad
way car was standing at the street
crossing to allow woman to get off, A
cry of mingled
WARNING AND HORROR
went up from the crowds as the pole in
clined toward the car, which had about
fifteen passengers on board, mostly
women. The driver saw his danger,
and with single bound jumped from
his car just as the pole crashed to the
ground, the part bearing the cross-arms
falling between the dashboard of the
car and the horses-a narrow escape for
passengers. horses and car. The horses
started to run, but the lumber impeded
their progress, and the driver soon had
them under control. Two women
tainted, and the remaining passengers,
men and women, fled terror-stricken
from the car. The pole, it was
discovered, was rotten at the
base, but the workmen were care
less in starting the work. Another
scene followed. but it was of ludri-
crous character. a foreman of the
Brush company demanded the arrest of
Commissioner Gibbons for destroying
the company's property. Failing in ac-
complishing his wish, he attempted to
take possession of the cut wires, but
Superintendent of Encumbrances Rich
ardson had his wagons and men on
hand. and as each wire was cut it was
rolled and placed in guarded wagon.