New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-17
TERRIFIC WIRE-PULLlNG.
ELECTRIC COMPANIES THREATEN SUIT
CAN wELL~INsULATED WIRES BE TORN
THAT ONLY VIOLATE MINOR RULES
OF THE BOARD OF ELEoTRl
CAL CoNTROLf

CAL CONTROLS
The representatives Of the electric light
made a vigorous protest TO Commlssloho' .,,
Yesterday. asserting that his gangs VIZ vol, in
property. of theirs which was In good i'f,, -, 49,
sulated and not at all dangerous -, ar o,,os
posed after listening to the Complains h ,rov 90
,ion no laid before the Mayor, ana y" Wv
uo'i " -" There were present, besides Mr.
mayor 'i"". o",N Gi,,bens Paul ID. Cravath
- " n r,vr,. for the United States ana brush
comnan,es and Frank NJ. Seers anu "i' 80. - 40 ~
East River Company. Mr.. "liros -, - ar, c,To,
were acting under the electrical eNp0'e9 - -. az
Commission and that he had been as",o" N''' i'o
crimiha'ion "au .nornce, dangerous had been cut
."e x,oror Grant said that in such case he
WV. that be had the power to interfere But
WV. ,orts were ordering down wires winch were
''s he thought they were exceeding their
49, and the companies had their remedy
NJ men Mr. Gilroy said, "are simply acting
,asr the instructions OF the experts. If they point
out wires that are not uahsor'"'' ~'
responsible parties
,,r cravath thought the companies remedy an in
saeouate one Il am told tht many wires they are
cemoyng are not dangerous and that periecuy msu-
lated wires have been taken down. ne SAID
az wire is properly insulated" put in the Mayor
aft is not dangerous certainly
Mr. C-avath said that the only thing his clients
ouId do was TO bring suit against the city. The com
NAMES, wires were being cut down simply for techni-
"a, violations of the rules of the Board of Electrical
Control. lie insisted that the United States Com
pany's wires all In perfect condition
But that didn't prevent them from killing man
in Eighth-ave. week ago." said Commissioner Glib
bens with emphasis.
why don't you get Injunction" asked the
Mavor. - IL your safe wires are being torn away7n
Mr. Cravath thought that the courts had put the
responsibility upon the Commissioner of Public Works
and that he would be left untrammeed Mr. Gilroy re-
plied that he was using all possible care. His in
structons had been and still were to remove only
dangerous wires. As far he knew, the experts
under whom his men were acting we're experienced
and capable The conference adjourned without re-
suits.
The four gangs of men from the Bureau OF En-
cumbrances resumed work on the overhead electric
wires at a. m. yesterday, where they had lett on
Oh Sunday, and late in the day still another gang
was set at work. They removed altogether about
$4,000 feet of WIRE reported by the inspectors ana
also chopped down twenty four poles. TINS was
about q third less than accomplished on sunday
but aside from the fact that the men were somewhat
hampered by the ordinary weekday traffic, all WORK
was stopped for about two hours during the con
ference at the Office of the Commissioner of Public
Works Mr. Gilroy did not order any such stoppage
but in the absence of the inspectors who were directed
to report at his Office there was no one to direct the
work.
The Broadway gang resumed operations at Walker
st. and got up to Grandst, confmng their efforts 10
the east side Of the thOrOughfare. They removed
5000 feet Of Brush wire, 300 feet of United states
and . 300 feet of Manhattan WIRE and four brush
uoles also. All this done because there Is an
other line of electric light poles the west side Of
the street. The gang that started On SATURDAY rom
The Ernsh station continued further along bleecAef
ST. gathering in about $500 feet OF wire at various
points between ThOmpsOn-st. and PerTy-st. MOST Oh
this belonged to the Brush Company, and was re
moved because ID was stretched on telegraph poles
In Third ave there two gangs al WOIh, one pc
tween Twenty thirdst. and Twenty seventhlst on inc
west side and the other between thirty elshIA-s' au
Forty-second-st. on the east side. On the lower
section nearly 1000 feet OF wire was removed While
above 5000 feet Of wire and nine poles were taken
,,o Inc a Mi'" he Station Of the North
New-York Lighting Company, at Rlder-aNe.
and East One hundred and fOrt!ethst, ana WOrkeu
down the avenue couple Of blocks rms gtns ua
NOT gel 10 work until nearly O'Clock, but 1900 feet
of wire taken down by it, Only 300 ieeI OF tns " as
really good WIRE the rest being the wreIee NC
fo,hIdden The "insulatiOnT consisted merely OF
white tape wrapped in clumsy way about the VIE;
Besides being bad. this wire was strung Oh d Aho Va
telephone poles. . 80. HE ,,ron
pIan for preventing staying further destruction
If their property and yesterday III some cases UeS
sent wOrkmen along ahead OF the elS kas Gritty
to make the city pay damages ho"eNci; any 10 a.;
all served formal protests Not tne sne' oe
fhe damage the loss or diversion OF pusivss
through inability to keep their circuits OPEN Mr;
wheeler the expert for the Board, said yesterday lu
he did not think any of the companies Woulu Dc "oio
start mp again for fortnight al leSst tho irvoeti
The Grand Jurors continued yesterday tne ihNv y
ration into the methods in which electrlclsht WHSs
are maintained with especial reference 10 the deis
of Clausen and Harris Judge van bTuiI', AZ uo
versing the decision of Judge Andrews III the eiec'c