Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-10
BIGELOW'S MANDATE
Somewhat SOftened in Tone
on Electric Roads.
UNDERGROUND WIRE TALK.
Some of the Pleas Advanced by the
Railroad Advocates.
FIREMAN CHATS ON STREET WIRES

The electric wire discussion is productive
ofseveral good results, among which may
be mentioned the fact that the removal of
dead wires has gone steadily on since The
DISPATCH opened up the question and car
ried it through. The men, as stated in yester-
DAVIS DISPATCH, have been busy taking
down wires for every company in town, and
the atmosphere is being cleared of overhead
wires to have them placed either out of ex-
istence or in their graves
A full delegation of representatives of
electric street car lines waited upon Chief
Bigelow, of the Department of Public
Works, yesterday, and explained to him their
position. There were some two or three roads
now in operation represented, with probably
a half dozen or so of those contemplated.
There were various suggestions made as to
conduits and subways, and were politely
listened to by Chief Bigelow. The plans
advocated even included sketches of the
various styles of underground wires which
could or could not be adopted. The fact
was urged on behalf of the motor companies
that the agreement taking down all the
other wires would leave but two in suspen-
sion, ana as had been shown, there was no
danger to life or property from these.
Mr. Bigelow agreed with this view of
the case. but reminded the speaker that an
other man thought so on Liberty street some
two years ago, and having leaned against
an iron post discovered his mistake too late
for any correction or revision of the electric
edict. This was admitted, but the statement
was made that some people had taken shocks
OF equal intensity.
SATISFIED WITH SOME.
In speaking of the various electric sys-
TENS, Mr.. Bigelow said the only ones recog-
nized now is the Sprague, as shown on
Second avenue by q firm there, and the
Thomson-Houston system. These two were
perfectly satisfactory to him, but he
could not keep up this pace on electric
business. The one is navigating the Second
avenue line, while the other was used by
the Pleasant Valley line
The Chief thought these were the best two
systems yet explained to linemen or labor
ers, and as a choice he did not give an
opinion, but asked suggestions.
They came in thick and fast, the conduits,
their lines, how they would be laid and
where, were illustrated on paper pads with
in few minutes. The New York system was
quoted, and Mr.. Bigelow said:
81 have one opinion given me on this mat
ter which is rather peculiar. 1t is that as
has been proven, the underground wires on
electric roads have been more or less fail
ure. The salt and snow or water forms an arc
and burns out not alone the wire, but the
wood, the whole surrounding matter and
even the cobble stones. There was one con-
duit in New York in which crossing of
wire occurred which burned everything in
sight, making a molten mass of metal, stone
and other debris. If this was the best system,
n1ofp OF ho 81 H.
within short range of the worst"
BIGELow LENIENT.
The conclusion of the discussion was on
the argument of the street car line repre-
sentations that if the other lines took down
their wires theirs would not be in the way,
being in the middle of the street, and Mr..
BigeloW, without conceding any point from
his position of making the wires go under
was understood to look with a lenient eve
upon the street railroad companies until at
least they were proven to be in the way and
shown to be dangerous, which will at all
events not take place until after they are in
operation.
There was one opinion given by fireman |
who was asked late last night whether the |
streetcar power lines would be a hindrance |
or not, and he said: mo, don't think |
they would be much in the way, as we |
raise our extension ladders parallel to the |
street and swing them round. If we |
smashed the wire we would not particularly |
care. and we certainly could get over It |
with the extension ladder. There Is one |
pious thought about it that the wire In the |
middle of the street would not split our |
streams all to pieces, as the wires on the |
poles do, or keep the ladders away from the |
buildings"
MIR. BLAXTER's DENIAL.
There was 10 change in the carbon settlers |
strike yesterday. Mr.. 6. h. Blaxter, Gen |
eral Manager of the Allegheny County |
Light Company, was asked about the state |
menss made by an electrician to the effect |
that the company had a number of 'under- |
writers" or dangerous wires in this city |
which were a menace to life and property. |
The wires were said to be very inferior In |
answer to the statement Mr.. Blaxter said:
'sIt is true we have a small quantity of |
underwriters wire in use, but it is very
small quantity. We are renewing our
wires all the time, and il there are any of
an inferior grade now in use, they will |
only be there until we get at them. The
renewal is going on constantly, and we
are now putting in the best wire obtainable
If we have any dangerous wires up, 1 do
not know where they are. If the strikers
will tell us we will certainly have them re-
newed at the earliest opportunity.
The electric wires in this city are of an /
unusually good grade, and far superior to
anything used in New York and some of
the other large cities. We have tried to get
the best wire and paid special attention to
its covering. Every new circuit we put in
is constructed with this kind OF wire The
old circuits are mostly replaced. If they
have not been renewed it is because thev
are in such position that they cannot do
anybody any harm"