Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-17
WORK OF DEMOLITION.
New York Taking Down the Wires and
Poles on the Street.

NEW YORK, April 16th-Gangs of men, under
the direction of the Mayor, this morning began
the attack upon the wired poles on Sixth avenue,
upper Broadway, Twenty-third, Twenty-fifth
and Forty second streets. The wires and poles
demolished principally belong to the electric
lighting companies. The work of demolition
was also carried on by the electric-light COM
pany employees. 1t is expected large part of
the city will be deprived of electric light to-
night.
A considerable number of poles and many
wires were taken d ,wn by the city s forces to-
day. Great crowds watched the unusual spec
tacle of the violent detachment of wires from
the poles and the chopping down of poles. The
danger from the electric currents was pyerted
by a formal notice to have the currents shut off
before operations began. One pole at Unien
Square fell while the wood-choppers were cut
ting, being rotten, and barely missed passing
street car nlled with passengers.
The foreman of the Brush Company demanded
the arrest of Commissioner Gibbons for destroy
ing the comparys property. Failing i'll accom-
plishlng his wish he attempted to take posses
sion OF the cut wires but the Superintendent of
membranes, Richardson had his wagons and
men on hand, aud as each wire was
cut 1t was rolled and placed in a guarded
wagon. There was no interference from the
Western or other companies.
superintendent Humstone, of the Western
Union Telegraph Company. was surprised when
he heard of the havoc the subway men were
making. he said the company was provided
for In all the streets mentioned in the Mayor S
order. The only persons who would be incon-
venienced were the subscribers to the Gold and
Stock Telegraph Company.
The Work of cutting down the telef raph poles
was continued until nightfall, and will be re-
sumed again early tomorrow morning. The
only poles left standing by the workmen were
those which held the fire department wires
These will all be removed by that department
this week. The electric light, telegraph and
telephone people are helpless and say that they
can only grin and bear is.
Madison and Union Squares, usually after
nightfall the brightest and gayest localities of
the city, were tonight in gloom. Within the
squares there was no flicker of light, and the
tramps upon the park benches were less fire.
quently disturbed in their SAUNDERS.
Young people filed the settles. and there were
excursions from distant pats of the city by Cit
zens curious TO behold the results of the first
day work with axes among the wire poles.
The only illumination to these great plazas was
from lamps inside the streets where the
circuits had not been cut off. The
gas jets hickered along the trail of the
road III Broadway, but in the cross streets where
the poles had been cut was absolute darkness
early IN the night, so that in Fourteenth, Twen-
ty-third and Forty-second streets pedestrians
picked their way, lighted only by the diffused
glare in the sky, against which the house-tops
broke dark and ragged lines. Fifth avenue
was as dark as country street, and few people
were astir upon 1t. Late at night the moon rose
and the dark streets were lighted, and many
who in the electric light seldom knew If the
moon was shining or not, tonight remarked
that fact