Evening journal., 1890-11-08
MORE ELECTRIC RAILWAY
The ERECTION OF POLES ON DELLA
WARE AVENUE DISCUSSED.


Citizens DO Not Like TO Have the
Beauty Of the gAyenue spoiled--A Petit
tion Presented.
A special meeting Of the Street and
Sewer Commissioners was held last even
ing to consider the erection of poles on
Delaware avenue by the Wilmington
City Railway Company for supplying
power for running electric cars.
The company WAS represented by
Edward W. Heald, A. D. Warner and
William Candy.
Among others present were Preston
Lea, William Candy, Stansbury J. J.Willey,
d. w. Taylor, George w. Bush, Wash
ington Jones, William G. Spruance,
Edward Belts, II. II. Archer, @. h.
Smith, G. s. Rowland, Charles w.
Gouert, Thor as Bellah. John s. Grohe,
Charles e. Whiteley, John f. Miller and
several others.
The principal questions discussed were
whether 1t was more advisable to erect
wooden thar iron poles the underground
system as compared with the overhead
the erection of poles in the centre of the
street instead of on the side; the erection
of poles TO carry the feeder wire on Gill
pin avenue instead Of on Delaware
avenue; the practicability OF using the
storage battery system, like that in vogue
on Madison avenue, New York, and some
means whereby the humming noise made
by the electric wires could be done away
with.
William NJ Cauby and William G.
Spruance, ,interrogated Mr. Heald, manager
of The Wilmington City Railway Company
Mr.. Heald said that wooden poles were pre-.
ferable to iron in many ways In the
first place the. latter cost $45 each, while
the former could be erected for 81 each.
During rain or sleet the moisture on the
insulator makes an excellent conductor,
an iron pole becomes electrified, and the
pedestrian who touches it Is sure to get
| frightened, and this causes great aeal
Of unpleasantness. Iron poles. unless
trussed, are liable 90 bend and sometimes
break, while the others are generally not
liable to do so.
Mr. Heald said the West End Com.
pany in Boston, one of The strongest in
the United States, hsd tried the under
ground system, and the experiment was
q failure. They nov used the overhead
system which has proved to be eminently
satisfactory.
The erection of poles in the centre Of
the street was dismissed as dangerous
and impracticable.
William M. Candy and w. G. Spr nanc,
we're strongly opposed to the ereetion o
wooden poles on Delaware avenue. TheJ
held that this thoroughfare was til,
pride of the city, adorned as il was b.
trees, which had been planted there a
| great expense; while If wooden pole
were erected many of those trees woult
have to be cut down, and the beauty 0
the avenue spoiled. Mr.. Spruanc
thought If the poles carrying the feeede
wire could be placed on Gilpin avenue,
would prove more satisfactory, as man
Of the property owners on Delawar
avenue run clean through; there wer
less property owners on that avenue an
no trees would have to be cut down
Mr.. Wiley inquired what would b
done when the Wilmington and Brandy
wine Cemetery was resched Nj
Spruance did not know. nor did he max
any suggestions to overcome the ol
stacle
Mr. Candy thought that the erectio
of poles on the south side OF Delawal
avenue would be less Objectionable tina
on the north side. Mr.. Belah said
did not object to the poles on the sout
side, provided, he ADDED good naturedl,
that the company supplied him with
pass
Respecting the storage battery systel
Mr.. Heald explained that il was impra,
tlcable on a steep grade. 1t is possibl
that in the near future this defect ma
be obviated and then the company woul
be only too glad to have it adopted Wit
regard to the humming noise now so dii
agreeable on electric roads, Mr. Heal
thought that the new invention of Ed
sons would dispose of that to a greI
J extent
The following petition was presente,
ITO the Directors of the Street ar
Sewer Department, Wilmington
} "The undersigned residents of tn
] city on the main line of the Wilmingtc
J City Passenger Railway Company, Del
} ware avenue or contiguous to It, with tl
+ constant necessity of using the cars
the company, do most earnestly petite
5 your department TO grant the privileg
3 of extending their electrical system
railway on Delaware avenue as recent
asked for by them.
4 This extension will not only mate
tally shorten the time from thai now +
quired, but will remove the necessity +
d horses in the laborious work Of sire
y car traffic A. g. Thatcher, Lea Puse
/ @. N. Trump. T. E. Stewart. w. Has
ings, E. T. Warner, Thomas S. Bella
Edward Andrews, Edward T. Canh
! Frank I. Webb. S. f. Warner. @.
3 Lore, Charles H Jones, w. M Beadel
4 kopt, Alfred Warner, James Z. DeVou,
. G. johnson, W. G. Jones, T. 7, Quigle
\ s. e. Pusey and others. The Board +
z | earvad its daeision