Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-10

The New Orleans Times Democrat i.
agitating the question of devices fol
| opening iron window shutters. A city
ordinance was passed some time ago re-
| curing such attachments, and one ha.
been perfected that fills the bill. Some
| day the whole inside of building thus
proteetedly unprotected win burn out
and then somebody will put on the
shutter openers.
THE WIRE PROBLEM.
President Fiad of the St. Louis new
| board OF public improvements, has a
/ plan for doing away with the wire nuis-
! ance, which he exhibited to committee
of the house of delegates short time
ago. The POST Dispatch thus describes
the plan:
The design exhibited before the COM
mittee showed the wires suspended high
in the air over streets unobstructed by
poles of any kind, The plan is as fol-
lows: The towers are placed at street in
tersectIons, aud consist of four iron
columns, fixed at their lower ends in a
foundation of masonry or concrete and
located at the intersection of the curbs
The posts slant towards the center of the
intersection OF the two streets, and on top
they terminate III square frame
of eight or ten feet wide. The height
of the towers is determined by the condi-
ton that the suspension cables stretched
between the towers should, at their low
est points, be still above the uppermost
windows of the houses already built, or
probably to be built, along the street on
which the towers are TO be placed. Their
height viii therefore, vary from eighty
feet, in the suburbs, to 100 or even $50
feet IN the business part of the city. The
towers are placed at such distances apart
as will be most economical, either one,
two, three or four blocks, or say from
800 to 1900 feet.
The steel wire suspension cables by
which the weight of the electric wires
and cables is to be supported are never
less than two in number, and where two
suspension cables only are used their ends
are fastened to the tops of adjoining tow
ers in sEch manner that
they can be heightened or
shortened at will within GER
tain limits. This is necessary in order
that the two cables of every span may be
adjusted to the proper elevation and
curve. When so adjusted the two cables
are parallel and have the same elevation
throughout the whole span. The horizon
tai distance between the two cables is
=
vertical plane passing through the center
line of the street viii pass through line
midway between the two suspension
cables.
At short distances apart, above every
twenty-five feet, measured horizontally,
the two suspension cables are connected
by stiff bar, or pipe, which viii hold
the proper distance apart when the
wheels of truck pass over it, or when
the wind or some other outside force
tends TO produce oscillation of the cables.
On these cross bars or tubes are carried
the electric cables and wires, rest
ing on proper supports. AT the
center of each cross bar or tube ON all
lines consisting of but two suspension ca
bles, q vertical strut is attached to the
lower side of the crossbar, and from the
lower end of this short strut, iron tension
rods pass to the ends of the crosshar or
tube. The lower ends of the struts at
tached to all the cpossbars, may be con-
nected by small wire, TO keep them in |
vertical position, under the effects of |
high winds. When a conducting wire is |
TO be carried from the eressbar to O |
house, it is first attached to the bottom |
Of the strut, and thence to the |
house. Lines with only two suspension
electric wires and cables TO be supported
is small, and may be designed as auxili-
ary lines.
On lines which have to accommodate
greater number of wires, third steel
wire suspension cable is added, which is
stretched parallel to and about eight or
zen feet below the two main suspension
,ables in a vertical plane passing through
he center line of the street. To the
,nds OF the cPoss-baFs iron frames are
iXed and instead of the short struts used
n the auxiliary lines, long strut is used,
from the center of the cross
,eam to the lowest point of the frame,
nd there strongly connected with it. At
he lowest point of the frame a fork is
lxed, i'll which the third suspension
able can move freely up and down,
Fhile it is held by it against lateral
notion. The frames carry, at short dis
ances apart, insulators, to which single |
Tires can be attached, When wire is
o be taken to house, the single wire is
I'd from its insulator on the side of
he iron frame to the third cable, and
hence, after having been attached to that
able, carried to the house, so that It
hall not be in the way Of the travelling
ruck. ;
W men the cdphS4lg tl tue l1liG Is 10 De 4
ill further inereased-which VIII be
eeessary in but few cases-two more
Ispension cables are fastened to the
,wers and stretched parallel to and di-
eetIy under the first two main cables at
lch distance below them that they are
bout on level with the lower ends of
le iron frames. These two suspension 8
shles are connected by cross
airs. The truck TO enable the line s
en to place and repair the wires t
nd cables and to make connections with i
buses it is intended to use trucks with a
ur wheels, supporting a light platform. t
hey are to be placed on the two upper v
)Pizontal suspension cables, and the lat g
T are to act as rails on which the truck a
ms, The wheels of the truck are broad V
I'd have wide fianges, to prevent 2
10 trucks running off the track. e
ne wheels are provided with u
lbber tires to prevent injuries to cables. @
ne truck of this kind is 10 be provided Il
+ every span, and in some cases two. c
ne cars when not used, are fastened to a
e towers. 81
The platform being emily few inches h
poYe the devices for attaching the ca n
es and wires to the crossbeams, | Q
sitting or lying on the plat h
nm of the car can inspect or repair them | D
make the attachments TO houses il
tn ease and speed. In laying cables or 81
res the latter may be be placed on a | b
Ell and the work may proceed Almost 81
When the wire reaches Il