Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-28
BURYING THE. WIRES.
All Telegraph Poles and Lines Are
to Come Down Next Summer.
COMMON COUNCIL TAKES A HAND.
objections Raised to the Bids for Natural
Gas and Groceries.
PRICES ASKED CONSIDERED Toe HIGH


Plttsburg Councils, but a quorum failed to
close call to get enough members to do bus-
ness in the other branch. As result two
important ordinances ordering the burying
of electric wires in the heart of the city,
which were to have been presented in Select
Council by Mr.. Lambie, were started on
their way in Common Council by Mr.. Tag
gart,. and referred to the COMMITTEES on
Public Works.
The first ordinance provides that after
July 1, 1892, it shall be unlawful for any
light, telegraph or telephone company to
raise, maintain, continue, use, operate or
employ in that part of the city bounded by
the Monongahela river, the Allegheny
river, Grant street and Eleventh street, any
pole, overhead wire, overhead cable or
device above the surface of the ground, by
means of which electricity is or has been
transmitted, or to keep any such pole or
wire now or before that date erected.
Owners Must Bear the Expense.
Each and every such pole or wire now in
that portion of the city shall be taken
down before that date at the cost of the owner.
The. Chief of the Department of Public
Safety on July ], 1892 shall proceed to remove
all such poles or wires as may not have been
removed by the owners. and is given express
power to use the police force for this purpose.
Any company maintaining such poles or
wires after July l. 1892, or which shall interfere
with the Chief of the Department of Public
Safety in removing them shall pay for every
ohense not less than $50 nor more than SloO.
The second ordinance relates TO underground
wires. 1t provides that any company engaged in
the electric light, telegraph or telephone busi-
ness prior to July ], 1892 and which has complied
with the ordinance tor the removal of poles
and wires, shall have the right to enter on the
streets for the purpose of laying the necessary
conduits and sub-ways for the wires on these
conditions; plan Of Of the PROPOSED d, system pho
Works, subject to approval before the work IS
begun.
Buried Away Under Ground.
All wires shall be three feet below the sur
face and close to the curb and not more than
two squares of any street shall be opened at
one time; the street pavement must be replaced
in good conditions; the city shall have the right
to use the conduits for the wires of the Bureau
of Electricity; the system shall always be
under the supervision of the Department of
Public Safety far as the safety Of the
public, police and fire apparatus are concerned;
reports of the workings of the system shall be
furnished in detail when requested by the De-
partment of Public Safety.
Any company neglecttng to comply with the
provisions of the ordinance shall pay for every
offense not less than $50 nor more than 500.
The matter of awarding the contract for fuel
for the water works to the Philadelphia Com
pany at the rate of 81 cents per each 1900
gallons of water pumped, which was laid over
at the last meeting was called, and caused
lively discussion.
J. L. wright-The contract before Councils is
not filled up; it is but blank piece of paper.
Chairman Holliday-The bond Is filled up,
but the contract is not
Mr.. wright-Why is 1t that the Philadelphia
bond is tor but SIS, 900. when the
had to furnish a bond of $500 with its bid!
Knocked Out the Contract
R. G. McGonnigle-The contract does not
even specify the period of time it covers.
Hugh Ferguson-The whole matter is an
outrage upon Councils.
The contract was then sent back to the Chief
of the Department Of Public Works to be re-
advertised.
The award of contracts made by Chief Elliot,
of the Department of Public Charities, was
taken up. The first was for groceries, awarded
TO Haworth, Dewhurst & Co.
J. C. ODonnell-With my knowledge of the
grocery business am free to say that the
prices asked are too high. Brown sugar, for
granulated sugar can be bought at that price.
Corn starch, starch. dried peaches and canned
goods are all at about retail prices. l would be
glad to sell to Mr. Elliot out of my retail store
the goods wanted at the prices quoted.
The bid was sent back TO be readvertised.
The contracts for drtgoods to Arbuthnot,
Shannon d Co.; for clothing, boots and shoes
to the ]. NJ. Gusky Company; for meat to Ar
mour & Co.; for -four to Marshall, Kennedy d
Co, for coal to NJ McCue; for undertaking,
etc, to ]. ]. Flannery, were approved without
question
This contract for milk, in which William Cal
teryahn bid 20 cents per gallon. and the con-
tract for fresh fish, IN which NJ. +. Jackson bid
II cents pound, were sent back on motion of
r. ODODQ6ll.
high. In the course of the debate Mr. Nc
Gonnigle took the ground that the bids were
the lowest offered and should be accepted. IF
the gentleman from the Seventeenth ward
(Mr. ODonnell) wants to run around and sam
pie calico and the like, move he be appointed
a committee to do so; this Council has no time
to do it." he said. Nevertheless the bids were
sent back.