St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-04
Citizens Who Walk the Main
Thoroughfares Of st.
Paul.
Fire Commissioners Protest
Electric Wires Should Re-
ceive Attention.
They Are a Standing Menace
to the Lives Of the Peo-
pie.
Aid. Gehan Speaks Of Crooked
Work in City Con-
tracts.

The board Of fire commissioners has de-
| clared war against the electric wire nuisance.
| IL came before the common council last
| night with long communication citing the
| dangers 10 life and property from the deadly
lines. Attention was called to the lamenta-
BILE Minneapolis disaster the commissioners
citing the difficulties experienced by the fire.
men in getting their ladders over the net
work of wires, causing delay that undoubt-
! ly resulted in loss of life. Vice President
Prendergast turned his guns particularly upon
the electric light wires, and fred off the fol-
lowing letter:
The board of fire commissioner again call
the attention of your honorable body to the
necessity of early action for the removal of
all wires from the business streets of our
city. Great difficulty is experienced at fires,
especially i'll the erection of ladders, on ac
count of telegraph, telephone and electric
light wires, which have become so numerous
as to form in some localities an almost i'm
penetrable network, causing delays which at
times seem disastrous to the workings of the
department. Loss OF life will result from
these delays-sueh as befel some of the in
mates of the Tribune building in Minneapo-
lis-unless something is done to remove
them On the south side OF Fourth street,
between Wabasha and jackson, there are
l23 wires, and on the north side 70 wires.
Seventh street. on the south side. has 81
electric light wires, and on the north side 20
light wires
The following localities are the most dan
gerous in the city:
Third street, from Cedar to Sibley; Fourth
street, from Wabasha to Wacouta; Fifth
street, from Cedar to jackson: Seventh
street, from Wanasha to Rosabel: Robert
street, from Fourth to Fifth: jackson street.
from Third to Seventh. The above locations
are right in the business district. In some
cases il would be impossible to erect our eX-
tension ladders or the water tower until the
wires that cross and recross the streets were
cut. The electric light wires, being consider
ably larger than others, cannot be cut by our
appliances, therefore they are disastrous.
We recommend that an ordinance be passed
That shall require electric light and other
companies to properly insure the safety of
buildings into which their wires run, by
proper Insulation and switches or cut-outs, so
as TO enable the currents to be cut out in case
of fire. We urge that some action be taken
by your honorable boQy in these matters, as
we think their Importance demands.
The communication was referred to the
committee on streets. Two other resolutions
OF considerable Importance to the fire de-
partment were introduced and passed. On
motion of Aid Weber the ordinance extend
ing the fire limits to lower Rice street, in the
Eighth ward, was repealed. Aid. Weber
stated that special ordinances granting the
construction of wooden bridges in this dis
trict had been repeatedly passed and that
the ordinance had been practically inoper
alive for several months. On recommends
ton of the corporation attorney, the orig
lnal ordinance governing fire wardens was
amended 10 provide penalty of $lUO fine
or ninety days Imprisonment for a refusal Of
householders to allow the department. Off
Gals to inspect their premises. This amend
ment was brought about by the refusal of a
Sibiey street storage firm TO allow Chief Jack
son to Inspect their warehouse.