Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-19
CITY WILL START 1T.
An Appropriation to be Asked For to
Put Wires Underground.
COUNCILS NEED SOME BACKBONE.
Superintendent Mead Makes a Report
About it to Chief Brown.
WIRES OF ALL KINDS MUST GO UNDER

In February or March next when the an
nual Councilmanic appropriation ordinances
are passed, an effort will be put forth to
have an extra appropriation made to begin
the work of putting the city wires under
ground. After this is done 1t is probable
that an ordinance will be passed compelling
all telephone, telegraph and electric light
companies to put their wires under ground,
and after the city gets its wires out of the
road the ordinance will be enforced. Moth
ing can be done about the matter now on
this account, Notwithstanding that every
person sees the necessity of getting rid OF
the unsightly poles and wires, which are
not only not ornamental but are constant
menace to lite and property. Every day
the necessity of some action of this kind is
seen and since the electric railroads have
been doing business the danger has in
creased. In nearly every case where an ac-
cident occurred by shock on the electric
railroads, it was caused by an overhead tel
egraph, telephone or electric light wire
coming in contact with the trolley wires.
In Philadelphia q war has been declared
on overhead wires and it is possible the
authorities will 60 into the George WASH
ington tree chopping business after the New
York style.
JUST LEFT TO DIE.
A representative of THE DISPATCH
tried to get some informati4 as to the status
OF legislation in this city against the pole
nuisance and the overhead wire danger OF
all the ordinances offered in Councils for
the removal of the overhead wires, not one of
them ever passed. but all died easy and natural
deaths in the hands of committees Why the
life was strangled out of them nobody could
be found to answer. The only reply received
to the query was that ''They had gone where
the woodbine twinett not"
Superintendent Morris Mead of the Bureau
OF Electricity, who knows more about the SUBJ
Ject than any man in the city, was seen
about the matter and said: "Chief
Brown and myself have had several
talks talks lately lately about putting the wires
the scheme is the cost.lSo far as the feasibility
OF the scheme goes it is all right and the only
thing for consideration is the financial end of it.
AS far as am concerned am willing to do it
and am in position to 60 ahead with the work
as soon as we get the money. The wires must
be put under ground sooner or later and the
sooner the better. 1t is probable that an ap-
preparation will be made in the spring for the
work"
The preliminary preparation for putting
the wires under ground has really been begun.
In report submitted to Chief Brown on
January last, for the purpose of giving in
formation to be used in arranging an under
ground service stated that with properly
constructed main sub.ways and smaller lateral
branches we could reach much of our service
IN shorter course than at present.
NO ROOM FOR MORE WIRES.
II gave him the number of miles of wire
owned by the city and other information about
the service. We now have in use about $50
miles of wire. but on account of having to 90
in roundabout way to get better pole service
or prevent induction. the lines are longer than
they would be If we had an underground sys-
TEN; In making an estimate of the future
needs OF the Bureau l said that it would take
double the number of wires now in USE after
the new switchboard is COMPLETED. to properly
provide facilities for the city telegraph and
telephone service. The poles are already
crowded now and you will see there is little
room for more wires and less room for higher
poles. In New York city the fire alarm service
is all being put underground and they work
all right. They do not get out of repair as |
the system not working satisfactory is all |
bosh. The Western Union Telegraph Com |
pany and the Central Telephone Company of |
this city, are working underground wires and |
they give satisfaction. The scheme was tried !
several years ago as an experiment., and has |
given general satisfaction. As 1t is no longer |
an experiment think all the wires in the city |
should go under ground, and am in favor of |
it right now. The city cannot very |
we'll legislate against private corporations |
until 1t gets its own wires out of the road"
Chief Bigelow was asked what he thought of |
it and would not consent to an interview on |
of the matter not being under the con- |
troll of the Department of Public Works How |
ever, he said: "The wires will never be put |
under ground until Councils have the back |
bone to make the corporations do it. had !
scheme sometime ago to put all the wires in |
the city under the sod so to speak, and divide |
the cost of the work among the different CON-
panles owning the wires and the city, 1 would |
like to see them go under and the sooner the |
better"
At the last meeting of Councils an ordinance |
was offered in Select branch for the regulation |
Of electric wires but nothing was said about |
putting them under ground.