Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-08
MAY STOP THE CARS.
The Telephone Company and Second
Avenue Railway at War.
SCORES OF THE WIRES USELESS
General Manager Metzgar Will Take the
Matter Into Court.
AN INDUCTION REMEDY TO COST $4,000

The Central District and Printing Tele-
graph Company and the Second Avenue
Electric Railway Company are about to lock
horns. 1t is possible that the former COM
pany will go into court on Monday and ask
for an injunction to restrain the railway
company from operating its line. If this is
done and the injunction is granted the trac-
tion cars will be stopped until the trouble is
settled. This will be great inconvenience
to the many people living along the line
who have come to look upon the cars as a
luxury. The cause of the quarrel is on ac-
count of the induction to the telephone lines
by the electric trolley wires.
In October last, when the telephone COM
pany learned that the railway line intended
to use a single trolley wire with the earth
for return current, they served notice that
they would hold the railway company re-
sponsible for any damage that might arise
to their lines. By reason of their using a
return wire placed in the earth buzzing
sound as caused on the telephone lines.
DECIDEDLY ANNOYING.
ephones on both sides of the Monongahela
river were rendered useless. ALL the tele-
phone lines between this city and Union
town cross the Sixteenth street bridge, and
they get the induction on this end of Second
avenue. On this side of the river the tele-
phone lines run as far as McKeesport and
on the other side to Uniontown.
In conversation with Mr. Metzgar. gen.
eral manager OF the telephone company,
yesterday that gentleman stated that they
expected the electric railway company to
remedy the trouble. II they did not do so,
he would go into court Monday and ask for
an injunction to restrain the company from
operating the line. In regard to the matter
Mr.. Metzgar said:
1--WE have been in business along that
thoroughfare for ten years supplying manu-
facturers and others with q telephone
service. The lines have always
worked satisfactorily until the elec.
tric cars began running. This was
almost week ago, and our lines now are
practically useless. When the railway was
put into operation the company said they
would decide what they would do this week.
In the meantime, our patrons have to suffer.
Call the telephone lines running along
the Monongahela river are affected. The
distance to McKeesport is about Is miles,
and to Uniontown about II miles. The
to make each circuit double wire, or run
one heavy wire the whole length of our
telephone lines. This work would cost
about $3.50 per mile or about S13, 900 for the
entire line. The telephone lines would be
grounded on the big wire instead OF in the
earth as at present.
AN EXPENSIVE REMEDY
"We are still waiting to see what they
60 Il h,,fo - ,,ol1
If we do not get an answer BY Monday we
will enter law suit against the company.
We have IS wires to their one along Second
avenue, and do not propose to have our
property injured. AT present we are trying
to give our patrons between this city and
Gleenwood temporary relief.
"The compan uses the Thomson Hous-
ton system, and if they used double trolley
wire, there would be no trouble. With
the Pleasant Valley Company it was differ
ent. All the wires we had running that
way were short wires and were not effected
ia any extent If the Second avenue line
had their wires evenly balanced, that is,
have one run from the negative and the
other the positive side of the dynamo, there
would be no trouble.
"What they will do have not yet heard.
They have a disturbing element there and
in equity they must carry on their business
so as not to injure us. We have no exclus-
I've right to Second avenue, but we have the
right of protecting our property. The rail-
way company has been given the right to
run their cars along the street, but they
must not do so to the detriment of some
other persons business
An attempt was made to see Manager
Burns, of the Electric Company, but he was
not in his office and therefore could not be
interviewed on the other side of the question.