Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-12
the electric power is within the car itself-tho


electrician Che did not know how correctly
| that 800 units of electricity was amply suni-
Gent to propel cars, and that less than from
| 500 to 1000 units is not dangerous to human
life.
Mr.. Edmunds spoke OF tho danger to life and
Of the destruction of the trees in the parking
| OF New York avenue which would follow the
| erection of the overhead wires, and he thought
! 1t due to the Commissioners and to the street
| railroad company that they should be notified
| that tine thing would not be permitted. He
! proposed to offer joint resolution to stop it.
| The matter went over until the following day,
| when il was discussed again and motion Of
| Mr.. Edmunds instructing the District CON-
| mittee TO report a resolution requiring the
Commissioners TO revoke the permits already
| granted for overhead electro-notive wires was
carried by vote of % 10 IS. Some Senators
| being opposed to placing mandate on the
committee voted against the motion.
The House District committee expressed
some Indignation over the action of the District
Commissioners and called upon those officers to
explain.
The FIGHT OF THE PEOPLE.
There was a further discussion of the ques-
ton in an editoria. in The STAR of August 80,
which said:
The suggestion that rival electric compa-
MES are responsible for the principle opposition
10 overhead electric railway wires in Washing
ton Is nonsensica'. The fight is that OF the
people of Washing ION, who have been pleading
for years TO be relieved of the existing wires
and who now find themselves threatened with
an aggravation OF the Nuisance and fan alarm
ing increase of The forces which will rerls. its
abatement. If ii Is proved that electricity as a
motive power for railways is yet insufficien;lv
developed for practical use In stora,;, battery
and conduit systems. and tine ayaisa BILE Methods
that which involves the Disagreement of the
streets with more overhead electric wires. then
Washington Will ask that the use of electricity
by its railways be postponed until the
safer and less Objectionable systems lave been
developed TO the point of successful operation.
Washington should not be made an experiment
tai station to test new systems of overhead
electric wires OF kind winch. according to
Capt Griffin, are not to be tolerated III large
cities. which in Detroit are not considered
suitable for street traffic in the thichly se{tled
portions OF the city, which In Montgomery are
pronounced seriously Objectionable
rangement disfgCrlng 10 the streets and. in
case of the wires breaking, dangerous, and
which are denounced and in part disused
In several other places which have
experimental with them To be sure. it
Is invariably claimed In behalf OF
these wires that hey are not dangerous, but all
that is meant by this assertion is that the ordi-
nary shock from them viii not certainly kill u
healthy man. Cases are reported from various
places. Montgomery and Richmond, for in
stance, where horses and mules have been
Killed by contact with them, and there is the
additional danger which makes even telegraph
wires so often deadly that through some break
age III the network of city wires. they will COM
munlcate to the person touching them the fatal
current OF nelghbori.g wires. So well recoS
ntzed is the danger in cities from these over
head systems that voluntarily to touch a hang
ing electric wire, no matter what representa-
tions have been made as to its individual HARM
lessness, would be criminal carelessness or in
dictate tendency 20 suicide. Numerous deaths
have occurred in this way through the so-called
harmless wires
NOT GOOD THING FOR WASHINGTON.
In the further discussion of the subject The
STAR said August 81. 1888:
at is mistake 10 suppose that public spirit
and proSressiveness are shown by q defense of
the attempt to fasten upon attractive streets of
populous capital that system of electric rail-
way which Is pronounced by authorities and
by communities which have tested it unfit tor
use in large cities and satisfactory cnly i'll sub
urban localities To recommend its general
use III Washington is to treat the capital not as
a modern, well-peopied city with an acquired
security. comfort and attractiyeness to be pre-
served at all hazards. but sparsely settled and
aspiring village which should welcome anv
novelty. however ug y and dangerous. provided
1t Will attract public attention and boom the
sale OF lots. Washington IS a city, no. a
mere suburb. Its streets should not be OBJ
structed by overhead electric wires. The Eek
ingtou and other roads largely suburban which
have been authorized to use electricity will be
the fOrerunners of urban roads with the cheap
overhead wires i! they are permitted without
protest to occupy with such wires the fraction
OF their routes which lies within the city limits.
WHY THE EcKINdroy WIRES WERE ALLOWED
The Senate District committee when it finally
acted September i, 1885,. on the matter referred
to it by the motion of 5Ir. Edmunds de-
cided to report resolution of the character
called for by Mr.. Edmunds motion, but with
recommendation that it be not ADOPTED
At the same time. however, the committee
agreed to report favorabiy a resolution pro
hlbltlng the erection of overhead telegraph
telephone and electric light wires and requir-
ing the removal OF existing wires after july /
following in the streets of the city. Electric
railway wires. it stated, were purposely
omitted because it was held that charters to
several new Railways already granted permitted
the employment of such wires if desired, and
that legislation prohibiting IL would be an IN
fringement of their charter rights.
When the resolutions were reported to the
Senate they were accompanied by q report
from the District committee explaining its
action The report stated that the charter of
the lexington company had been granted In
the previous June ami contracts aggregatinS
S03.UO0 had been entered into; that the act au-
thorized the Use OF electricity as IL motive
power: permit was obtained from the Com
missioners: contracts were made for electrical
equipment and vogh was in progress when tie
rcsolUslOu 10 rtsCliiu was introduced. 1t WAS
claimed. too, that the cost of the condult sys-
TEN, as well as the unpaved condition OF tine
streets, made IL impracticable in the case of the
lexington road.
WHAT TIE SENATE FINALLY DID.
Action on the resolution to revoke the per-
mits was postponed in tine Senate on account
of Mr.. Eamunds' absence, blu: meanwhile there
was from time to time some discussion of the
subject During this discussion Mr.. Vest &C.
clared that Congress had condemned the entire
system OF overhead wires. He contended that
overhead wires are dangerous 10 human life
and he had read accounts of deaths produced
by such wires. He said that such considera-
tons alone ought to prevent the erection of
overhead electric wires; that the preservation
OF human life should weigh above the interests
OF corporations. above the value of money.
The resolution reported by the Senate COM
mlttee appears. however, never to have been
called up afterward. the Senate evidently con-
sIderlng that the prohibition against overhead
wires inserted IN tie appropriation bills was
sufficient for the time, but subsequently, when
II was proposed to extend the lexington line
the Senateiexpressed its sentiments by pro-
hibiting the Use of the overhead wires on the
extension.
CAPT. sYnoSs REPORT.
The annual report of Capt. Symons assistant
to the Engineer Commissioner, published Oc-
tober /, discussed the electric wire question,
and said: 1T has been the aim of this office to
| restrain the growth of the overhead wire sys-
N pO<sihia Al