New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-15
WIRES CHOPPED DOWN.
COMMISSIONER GILRoys AVE AT WORK.
THOUSANDS OF FEET REMOVED - THE 'iif iN
DARKNESS LAST NIGHT-THE CRUSADE
M nr corxrrxUED TO-DAY.

| TO BE CONTINUED TO-DAY
Thoro vas an almost universal shutdown on
a., or, 81 tho electric light companies Iast
,1iol,t and the city was plunged i'll "
! Gloom IL WAS even thdh ao '"o I'M
e. G.. a.,,sodo eoainst the wires. two months
ago. for then some OF the coinp"h IN nro-
eocted At all Last night, however, they Ill prO-
80 =" foid 70 start up. for with the work
-. -. -, fo,,r nlaces at once, they were unaDle
~ ir, what wires had been cut III
va, also binted that this move was made to
oror.o nopular Indignation if possible against
s,cb q radical policy of tho Board of Electrical
Control.
The Brush and United States companies wera
said 10 he the fist to announce that they would
not run last night, but the other companies fell
in line without much urging. In most cases
the machinery was set in motion as usual but
the circuits were kept closed The Manhattan
Company had one circuit open in order TO supply
a couple of theatres incidentally giving light TO
few blocks along Ffth-ave. also, but this was
an exception. The Edison Company was said to
be the only one which usual, ana IL mas
all its wires underground. The companies using
the alternating current confessed that they feared
that accidents would happen if they turned on
their current before going over the broken lines
and making repairs
The bad weather added to the general gloom
but it probably kept people at home so tlat SAND
bagGcrs had fewer opportunities to ply their craft
Superintendent Murray also sent out geherai
order 10 The commanders of preclncts Throughout
tn, city. calling upon them TO use every posi-
bic precaution 10 protect pedestrians As 'hia"'
oxtra noIiccmen as could be spared were thrrc-
fore. stationed along the thoroughiafeS that were
deprived of light numner OIL '''en JULIE III
plain clothes.
BFGtNNING THE ONSLAUGHT
Commissioner Gilrov set his aXemcn at work
AGAIN carly in TN, day, and in spite of the bad
,yoa,ber q good start was made in clearing away
tho rcs from the streets The effect of the decis-
ion of the General Term Of the Superior Court dis
.oIvino IN, Injunction granted by JUDGE Andrews,
WAS soon visible in the havoc wrought. As soon
,s the decision of the court wa- made known on
Friday. preparations for the onslaught wera made
at the Department of Public Works, and about
forty men reported at the office IN ChamberSst.
at 0 a NJ Yesterday for their final orders. lhev
were divided into four squads, under the direction
Of special inspectors of th' Bureau OF Ehcum
brance, In addition, each squad was accom-
panied by an inspector detailed by the Board OF
Electrical Control while Michael +. Cummings,
Cbi,f of the Bureau of Encumbrances, had su-
uervison over the entire work.
H. had been arranged that work should begin
AT o o'clock and stop at 4, although Commissions
Gilrov directed the companies not 10 turn on
their currents again until 1 80. The companies
denied the right Of the Commissioner to lS>u"
any such order. but to avoid casualties that might
proyollc n storm Of public Indignation, they shut
down early in the day. They had NEST of theil
available men actively at work, however, re-
moving lamps from the circuits that were GU
out while in few cases they saved some Of
their wire by taking il down themselves. Every
move of thc city's men was watched by the agent
Of the companies while in most cases the officers
remained at the stations receiving reports.
NEW A. WE'LL AS OLD WIRES REMOVED.
The policy adopted by Commissioner Gilroy
occasioncd sCmc surprise, and the opinion was
generally expressed that it would he the caus
Of further litigation. The Commissioner how |
ever, placed his forces entirely at the disposal |
of the Board of Electrical Control and the various
gangs did precisely what the Boards inspectors |
told them to do. That is to say, not merely were |
badly insulated wires removed, but all |
wires whatsoever that were said TO be hanging in |
defiance Of the rules of the Board were taken |
down.
\ large amount of the old and unsafe under |
writer's wire was taken down, and also of unused |
wires. but by far the greater portion was new |
wire with approved Insulation. Such W res were |
removed for instance, when there were TWO lines /
If poles along one side of the street, and there
were many deep growls from the officers of the |
companies in consequence. In the opinions over
ruling the decision of Judge Andrews it plainly |
stated that, while Commissioner Gilrcy or any
private citizen cJdld without notice remove 4
nuisance injurious or dangerous to human life, il
would rest with him TO prove in the courts, if
called upon. that it was such a nuisance. Con-
siderable surprise was therefore expressed AT Mr..
Giroy's boldness in suddenly undertaking to en-
force all the rules of the Board of Electrical Con-
troll
The first bit Of work done in Cham
bers-st almost in front of the build
ing occupied ny the Department OF
Public Works Four of the small green
poles used to carry the wires for the city lamps
were cut away on the south side of tie street.
and il was said that 800 feet of wire of the
United States Illuminating Company WAS token
down This done because there was a line
of telephone wires the same side of the street,
while around in Broadway, where the work wa
continued, the rules were violated by the prcscncc
of two separate lines of poles for electric light
wires on the same side of the street. The Brush
Company's poles were chopped down. the men
leaving untouched the poles Of the United 5. ates
Company, which are larger and supposed TO be
less dangerous.
A DANGEROUS POLE II BROADWAY.
One of the Brush pole, which stood in front
Of the Central National Bank, No. 1870 Broadway
was certainly dangerous, and there was block
AIDE for some twenty minutes when the worltmen
got to il. This pole was planted in an iron
socket which had been boited TO the tagging
bu, there was only one bolt left 1t was not deemed
anti I,o
as soon as the wires had been CHOPPED from the
poles nearest it on either side il fell of it, OWN
weight The poles were cut down nearly rs far
north as WOr.h-st. and Inspector George ~
Roth reported that II 800 feet of Brush wiras had
been taken down, as well us 5000 feet of wire
far inca pdesc,pt lines belonging In In, At nLat |