Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-24
ANELECTRIC DISPLAY
Flashes of Lightning StartIe Curious
People on the Streets.
THE RESULT OF BROKEN WIRES
Another Strong Argument in Favor of the
Underground System.
ALL CITY PROPERTY MUST BE PAID FOR

That the people of Pittsburg have a sub
stantial respect for the power of electricity
was demonstrated on two occasions yester-
day. Two accidents occurred on the Pleas
ant Valley road that filed the curious by
ISLANDERS with fear and trembling, whether
there was any reason for it or not.
About 8 o'clock last evening one. of the
new electric cars ran off the track at the
corner of Sixth avenue and Smithfed street.
The trolley was pulled awry, but still main
tanned its grip on the overhead wire. The
flashes of lightning that filed the air were
something to look at, and the crowd of 800
or more that soon gathered, stood back at a
respectable distance. If bold man ven
tured too far, or was liable to step on the
rails, another excited citizen grabbed him
by the coat tails and pulled him back,
keep off the rails" "take no chances" 4"
were the yells from the people.
The conductor, who must have been an
expert electrician, took piece of insulated
wire, shaved down the ends, and then placed
one end on the rail and the other on the car
axle. A circuit was formed, and when the
lever was turned the car shot across the
street.
ITS FLoUNDERING STRUGGLES.
After bobbing back and forward for some
time it was finally put on the rails. 1t was
small occurrence, but while it lasted the
bystanders were thoroughly terrified.
One of the most peculiar calls that ever
came in to police headquarters was that
which recorded itself on the patrol box in
strument about 9 A. NJ. yesterday. "Doc."
Montgomery, who was in charge at the time,
saw some smoke issuing from the glass case,
and thinking that some one was on the other
side OF the table blowing smoke in his face,
at once started up to investigate. His in
vestigations were summary, considering the
weather which has prevailed tor the last three
days and when he found that he and the
burning instrument were the only two
occupants of the room he felt little nerv-
Gus. He rushed to the telephone, and with
the usual discrimination displayed by him
when playing upon that calliope, struck
the plugs all right for 1137, not knowing at
the same time that the doing so might cost
him his life. But to risk his life on duty
was one of the cardinal principles of
Stsndisn Montgomery's life, as evident by
the leg he left on the field of battle.
SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
The response was slow, and while the
machinery was being consumed Standish
Montgomery sent word upstairs to the
Electric Bureau that things were wrong,
and Morris Mead was soon on the scene.
He at once saw the cause of the burning,
and in a few moments located it at the
corner of Sixth avenue and Smitnfeld
street. It seemed that a telephone wire
which was being drawn out was allowed to
sag by the workmen and touched the wires
of the Pleasant Valley Railroad Company,
burning out not alone the patrol box system
in City hall, but also box IA fire alarm and
several others which are now being 10
Gated.
The fire did not call an alarm from the
City Hall, but it called forth a great deal
of discussion on the question of dead wires,
already so fully treated in THE DISPATCH,
and the probability of trouble arising from
the overhead wires of the Pleasant Valley
Railroad Company.
Chief Bigelow, of the Department of
Public Works, was asked what he thought
of the matter and replied: sit has not yet
been officially brought to my knowledge.
but know that a telephone wire was al
lowed to sag and touched wire, probably
of the Pleasant Valley line, with the result
Of one of the men lying down on the roof
where he was stationed in stretching the
wire. don't know how long he laid down,
nor do know why he laid down, but I do
know that if there is any possibility of dam
age to the property of the city over or under
the streets shall hold the party infiicting
the damage accountable. The wire which
did the damage was, as far as know now,
telephone wire, and cannot say who will
be the responsible party, as the touching of
a wire in the hands of two men to a station
ary wire is wide open question"
A POINTED QUESTION.
"Will you order the Pleasant Valley
wires underground"
THAT is hard to say. Supposing two
men should strap tie on the Pennsylvania
Railroad in front of the limited train and
throw it from the track, would it be fair to
abolish the Pennsylvania Railroad? have
got to investigate the matter further, and as
have no official reports on the subject vet
1 cannot say what will be done. I have,
however, found out where the fault origin
ated, and the men of the telephone company
are at present out making good the damage
occasioned, so L think there will be no
trouble as to repairs.
Chief Brown, of the Department of Pub
lie Safety was asked if he knew that some
of his paraphernalia in the Inspectors Of
fee was destroyed by the crossing of wire
on Sixth and Smithfeld, and he said he
did, but that the electric indicator would
have to be paid for by the people who
destroyed it. The whole system was again
in working order, as he had provided for
all such contingencies, and should another
indicator be burned out q fresh one would |
take its place, but every one of the instru-
nents would be paid for by the people own |
ing the intrusive electricity. "We have no |
money to spare, said Chief Brown, sin |
this department for experiments in electric |
work on the part of either railroad lines,
light lines or telephone lines"
TELEPHONE PEOPLE AT FAULT.
Mr.. A. H. Chadbourne, the agent of the |
Sprague Electric Railway and Motor Com |
pany, who has been here from Philadelphia |
for some time experimenting the construc-
ton and initial operations of the Pleasant |
Valley line. was asked last evening what be |
thought of the wire accident. He said: "It |
was clearly the fault of the telephone COM
pany. If their wires were properly looked |
after they would not fall on the trolley wire.
Our company had nothing to do with max
ing the law of gravitation, and if telephone
wires are carelessly attended to and get
old and broken, they are liable
to fall On the street railway wire. We will
guarantee that the trolley wire will not fall
up on the telephone wires. More than that
a current of 800 volts will not hurt man.
1t will not even knock horse down. Any
person posted on electric matters knows
that. There might be some unpleasantness
connected with a current'of that force, but
1 am willing to take it any time-for con-
Mr.. Chadbourne said further: ''The
operation of the Pleasant Valley system has
proven to be very satisfactory to the COM
pany, not simply in the things that the pub
lie sees, but in all its workings. The little
annoyance caused by the trolley wheel