New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-29
THE KILL OR CURE METHOD
IT SEEMS TO WORK WE'LL ON THE WIRES.
THE CITY ALMOST ENTIRELY RELIGHTED BY
GAS AND THE SIDEWAYS BEING

RAPIDLY UTILIZED.
Two weeks ago yesterday the crusade against the
overhead electric light wires begun. Since tlen
there has been no pause. except on sundays anu
Christmas Day, and the force OF nearly forty men
at first put in the field has been more than doubled
There were at first four gangs Of men at work, each
under the direction of inspector, for the Board
Of Electrical Control but in few days two additional
gangs were started The field Of their operations
includes the entire city, but up TO the present time
the most work has been done on these thoroughfares
broadway the Bowery, Third-ave. including the ex-
tension into the Annexed District, Fourth, SiXth'
and Eighth avcs Grand-st, Beeckerst Forty-second-
ST. and One hundred and twenty ffthst. Many other
streets crossing these thOrougares have also received
attention but in general only incidentally in order
10 clear away wires running from the more important
lines Of travel.
The amount OF work accomplished has varied
greatly from day TO day. owing TO the weather, the
nature of the ncghborhood, and the con-
diton Of the poles and wires. Accepting
the estimates of the inspectors. however
an average of fully fifteen miles Of wire and fifty
poles has been removed each day: during the two
weeks A large amount Of the wire so coniscated
was new and Of good quality, but hung in viola
ton Of the rules of the board The poles. however,
were in many instances rotten and unquestonably
dangerous.
The companies have asserted from the beginning
IL
at all so long as the cutting continued, and the
result for time almost universal darkness where
the electric lights were formerly used. But the
Bureau Of Lamps and Gas has been as busy as the
Bureau OF Encumbrances, and the electric lights
have now been replaced by gas on all the chlet
thorCughares Of the city. In some cases where the
lamps have been removed it is now found that the
connection with the gas main has been cut OIL
especially where subways have been built, and 1t
will take some days yet 10 make the
necessary repairs There still many
lanppOsts also that are yet to be htted up
but it was said last night that street in the city
was without light for any considerable distance
Most OF the posts still to be equipped are In the
side streets lust few rods away fIOm the corners
Of avenues where electric lights had been placed but
in all such cases at least little illumination is sup
piled by the other lights still further away from the
corner.
The chief difficulty encountered has been the want
of lambs The Bureau found itself suddenly called
upon To light hfy-sX miles Of streets ana Sixty nine
acres Of parks, and it had only 900 lamps on hand
Half as many more secured from Brooklyn, hut
the manufacturers could not ill orders promptly
enough owing to the extraordinary demand for all
kind, Of gas fixtures In this emergency every other
lup was taken from certain streets and roads in the
northern part Of the city against tine earnest protests
Of the residents, aud altogether about 5000 lamps
have already been put up As soon as possible super
which he borrowed from the less populous neShbor-
hoods but he SAYS the idea that the lamps should
ALWAYS be kept up i'm readiness for emergency, is
absurd That was tried when FWutcenthst. was hrst
supplied with electric light, and inside of two weeks
almost every bit of glass had been broken and even
the frames warped and twisted, through the efforts OF
Young rowdcs.
As to the extent Of territory affected, that would
be most easily described by naming tue exceptions to
the general rule of darkness. The Edison Company,
having its wires underground, was not affected and
the Manhattan Company had the same good fortune
but less complete degree All the other com
panic, were practically shut down. After few days.
however the Mount Morris Company resumed opera
tiOns IN part and since then has been lighting parts
of (ireenW cn-st. and Oneundred and twenty hftl-st
as well as GansevOOrt and the new West Washington
Market. With that exception almost all the OLD city
lamps were out, although superintendent McCOrnlch
is convinced that there was no real necessity Tor a
complete shutdown. At the beginning OF the trouble
he sent letter 10 the United states Company asking
that company to the ultOn st. station and at
least supply the section south of Chambers ST. where
no wires had been cut. He received no answer To
his letter at all and convinced that the shutdown
was adopted with the design of creating public out
cry. against the policy of the authorities:
The crusade has certainly had the effect Of indu-
cling the companies to put their wires underground
In spite of their former assertions that the wires
would not work in the subways, all last week they
were busly engaged in putting them there Com,
missioner Gbbens estimates that from $50 to 200
miles of electric light wire has been put in the sub
ways since December H. or about twice as much a
was there before There are about thirty miles of
5000 miles of wire. All the companies are now
putting their wires them, and il is said that
of lines will be working even before the for
hidden overhead wires are al down. There Is sun
probably two months work for Commissioner Gilroy's
aXemen although they much more skilfu now than
when they began the assault.
The programme Yesterday did not differ materially
from that OF previous days except that one gang got
farther down town than on any previous day. some
poles, which considered dangerous, were chopcl
down in Nassau-st opposite the sub Treasury luid-
ing squad Of police keeping the people at as
tancc
Public Works Commissioner Gilroy made report
to the Mayor yesterday to the effect that ne had
revoked all permits which had been issued to the
Edison Electric Light Company to open the streets,
and had given notice OF such revocation. to the
Police Department. Mr. Gilroy asks that the Board
of Electrical Control take concurrent action The
reasons which Mr. Gilroy gives are that In June la.t
the Edison Company said il acting under permit
from the Department of Public Works in putting down
conductors although without the authority Of the sub
way Commission. Commissioner GilrOy then revoked
the permit and required that the company make
separate application for eacn street desired 10 be
opened. He afterward found that the company had
opened IA feet OF the pavement of Fifth-ave near
Forty ifth-st I'm defiance of his orders having mado
no application and having received no permit. There
was additional for Mr.. GilrOy's Indignation
because the pavement torn up was a new and ex