Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-17
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. TELEGRAPH POLES DOWN. Mayor Grants Raid On The
 Overhead Wires. PARhELL SUES THE LONDON TIMES An Innocent Man Languish-
 ing In Sing Sing, THE OKLAHOMA EXCITEMENT. Captain Smiths Views On The Denmark Disaster.
THE OKLAHOMA EXCITEMENT.

THE TELEGRAPH POLES DOWN Mayor Grants Esa aid on tho Overhead
 Wfres-Hundreds Of People Witness
 the Fun-Broadway I'm Darkness
 The Parks Gloomy and Deserted.
 NEW YORK, April 16.-Up to 10:30 o'clock this morning the expected raid on the tele- graph poles and wires had not been begun by the department of public works. Com missioner D. Lowber Smith of that depart ment said at that hour that he had not re- ceived any word from the mayor to begin the work, and he would take no steps until he had heard from his honor. As soon as in- structions arrive, the work will begin. Shortly after 10 o'clock Mayor Grants sec- Wallace's order dissolving the injunction procured by the Western Union Telegraph company against the mayor and board of electrical control.
 The order was sent shortly afterward to the department of public works. One of the inspectors was on hand with a corps of Il o'clock the poles at 14th street and Union Square were being cut down. Hundreds of people gathered in no time to witness the novel sight of men cutting down telegraph poles. Two gangs, one on each side of the street, attacked the poles. Another com pany of strong armed woodchoppers made an attack on the poles on Sixth avenue. They commenced on both sides of the avenue at 23d street, and intend to level all poles on the avenue as far ss 18th street. The mayor sent to the commission of public works 8 letter notifying him of the poles and wires that were to come down. They were as follows: On Sixth avenue from 23d to 18th street, except Western Union wires; on the elevated road structures on Broadway from 14th street to 45th street, except fire department lines; on 23d street, from Sixth avenue to Broadway; and on 42d street from Sixth avenue to Madison avenue.
 The Metropolitan Telephone company be- gan to take down their wires on Broadway above Fourteenth street this morning and were hard at it when word was received that the party from the bureau of encumbrances was ready to begin operations. They had been waiting for the promulgation of the off, cial order from the mayor. At II o'clock quite crowd had gathered at Union Square in expectation of 8 collision between the workmen, but up to noon no disturbances were reported.
 Ten poles are being cut down every half hour. Commissioners Gibbons, Hess and Moss are on the spot. The fall of every pole is hailed with cheers by the crowds along the street. A later dispatch says: As 8 result of the mayors oestructlon or poles to-day Broadway between Fourteenth and Thirty ninth street was in almost total darkness to- night, greatly to the inconvenience of way farers. The clubs and theatres lost some of their attractiveness and the parks were gloomy and deserted.
 The serious charge is made that the Brush Electric Light company to-day ignored the Mayors notice to shut off it's current and purposely left the wires charged, to the great danger of the men engaged in removing the poles. There were some narrow escapes from death on account of the current being on, but the company claims that it did not re- ceiye the notice in time to act mon it.