The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-12-19
1T CAN USE ELECTRICITY.
Aldermen Pass the AmendatOry Ordinance, and
an Electric Railway Is a Probability.

The Board of Aldermen held another spe-
cial meeting last night. at which was
passed the ordinance granting the Citizens
Street-railroad Company the right to use
electricity as we'll as animal power during
the remaining years of its franchise. There
were present Aldermen Wright, Reynolds.
Taylor. Connect, Tousey. Smith and Laut
The two other members. Reinecke and Rail.
were notified i'm good season, but were not in
attendance. President Wright called the
board to order, and the ordinance was
taken up, read a second time, ordered en-,
crossed by a unanimous vote. read a third
time, and passed by a similar vote. There
was no discussion. Alderman Connect SIM
ply asked whether it was necessary to have
the ordinance engrOssed, anu the PresldenI
replied that it had better be done to avoid
any technical objection that might be
raised by the opponents OF the measure.
The seven Aldermen present were a unit in
the desire to put the ordinance through
promptly, N thus give the Citizens COM
pany the opportunity to avail itself OF the
privileges granted therein. They all
seemed to regard it as a very satisfactory
nights work. and adjourned as soon as the
ordinance was passed.
This ordinance is a%mendatory and supple
mental to that of Jan. Is. 1864, n the
amendments have already been outlined in
these columns. In view of the fact that 1t
repetition. They provide that the street.
car system of Indianapolis shall be operated
with animal or electric power only. and
shall not connect with any other railway in
which other power is used; that If electric
ity is adopted and the overhead system
used, the Citizens company shall place iron
poles between tLeir double tracks and sus-
and that the poles. wires and fixtures be SO
placed n maintained as not to in
terfere with the reasonable and proper
use of existing telephone wires; that moth
ing contained in the ordinance shall be so
construed as to lengthen the term of fran
or the company under the old ordinance,
except the permission to use electricity:
that the company shall indemnify the city
against any and all damage to persons and
operation of the electrical line; that
the ordinance shall be in force from
and after its passage and accept
ance by the company, which acceptance
must be filed in writing with the city clerk
within sixty days from the date of passage;
that the company shall begin the construc-
tiOn of the line within ninety days and
complete at least five miles during 1890.
President Shatfer,' of the Citizens COM
pany, returned from st. Louis yesterday.
the Aldermen, out would give no lndica-
tion whether or not his company would ac-
cept. Il have nothing whatever to say to-
night concerning this matter" said he to a
reporter. I'm a day or two / will be ready
to talk, but at present | can give you NJ
information as to what action we will
take" From other and reliable sources it
is learned. however, that the Citizens
company Will undoubtedly accept and be-
gin the work of changing five miles of its
lines to electric road very ~sOon-probably
by Feb. 1. 1t will cost about 500. 600
to make the change, or $50, 600 per mile.
The cOmpany's fifteen-mile contract with
the ThomsOn-HoustOn company is for S245,
600, and the five miles will naturally cost
more in proportion. AS the Thompson
Houston Company is behind in its orders.
the Citizens people will nave to avail
themselves quickly of the opportunity to
get the plant IN, as any considerable delay
will force the electric company to fill other
orders to the exclusion. for the pres
ent, of the company here. 1t is
therefore the belief that indianapolis
will have five miles of electric street rail.
road in operation by May /. 1890. That five
miles is exclusive of the line to I%rvington,
which is provided for by a separate bond.
Besides. the ordinance of 1854 grants the
right to operate a street railroad system on
the streets of the city and says nothing
about the suburbs. There was a feeling
that unless the Aldermen passed the Ordl-
nance at Once an effort, and possibly a sue.
cessful one, would be made to amend it and
thus send it back to the Council for con-
currence, in which event it would have beer
defeated.