Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-04
A Conference to Be Held
With the Mayor to Con-
slider the Subject.
PLANNING AN ORDINANCE
That Will Insure the Placing of
Electric Wires Underground
WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
Chief Brown says the Companies Must
Perform the Worker
STEPS WILL BE TAKEN TO FORCE THEM


A conference of the representatives. of the
electric light telegraph and telephone
companies of the city, affected by the
proposed ordinance to put wires under
ground in the business part of the city, will
be held at Mayor Gourley's Office tomorrow
morning, at which there viii be present the
Mayor, Chiefs Bigelow and Brown, and
Superintendent Morris Mead, of the Bureau
of Electricity.
The object of the conference will be the
preparation of an ordinance that will suit
all parties but which will insure the placing
of all wires underground within two years
from the 18th of last November, from
Grant street to the Point bridge.
The Mayor and Public Safety Chief dis
cussed the question yesterday, the Mayor
having mastered the contents of type
written communication on the subject SUBJ
mitted by the Chief on Monday, and they
agreed on the general outlines of the ordi-
nance they expect the electric light and
telegraph people to agree to.
A Chance to Show Graciousness.
1t will be a case where the parties affected
will be placed in a position TO which they
must gracefully agree or submit and take
their cruel as best they can. There is no
doubt that the officials mean business.
Chief Brown in talking of the proposed
ordinance last night said:
The main points of the two ordinances
presented last year will be embraced in one
this time, and know the temper of Coun-
ellis is to pass it when it comes before them.
We will endeavor to please the companies
and don't desire to be arbitrary, but they
will not again be allowed to dilly-dally as
they did last year until it is too late in the
year to begin work. We will allow two years
in which the placing of wires under
ground must be accomplished. That is
certain portion of the work must be per-
formed before the 18th of November and the
balance must be done in the next year be-
tween April 10 and November Is. that being
the period in which the streets can be
opened for the purpose.
Will Follow New York's Example
When that time has expired we will do as
they did in New York City, cut down their
poles, remove all the wires we find over
head and make the companies pay for it.
The experience of the NewY York officials was
that. after allowing three years to do the
work. the time expired and little or nothing
had beer done. The mistake made was in
not requiring part of the work performed
each year. and we don't intend to make any
such mistake. Our position will be, peace
fully il we can, iorciby if we must" and if
the representatives of the interested COM
panies won't agree to the reasonable regula-
uOnS we intend to submit, we viii have
the ordinance passed and then compel
them to obey it. There is no doubt of
the city's power in this matter The United
States supreme Court only yesterday sus
tained the <ty of New York in a mandamus
suit brought Dy the New York Electric Com
pany to compel the officials to allow them
streets. The officials declined because the
company had failed to comply with the city
reguIations g s. goyernlng snc9 i matters; ann ana
authority from the State Legislature, they
were blocked by the municipal law.
One Company Took a Hint.
Although the underground wire ordi-
nance that died in committee last wear did
not compel them to, the officials of the big
telephone company of this city took the hint
conveyed by its presentation in Council and
at once began the work of putting their
wires beneath the streets. Already they
have half completed the work on their
main line, which runs along Cherry allev
Liberty street, and is to run from Liberty
street along the length of Market
lines will be laid, but they
will be small and comparatively ine1pen-
sive. The system being adopted is a terra
Gotta conduit formed of pieces about foot
in length and inches square, in the center
of which is horizontal bore from / to 8
inches in diameter, according to the size of
the cable to pass throughit The main lines
on the streets above mentioned consist
of 49 of these conduits built up
like masonry and the ends cemented
together to form continuous line
Manholes will be placed at intervals
to give access to the conduits and allow re-
pairs or the insertion of new cables. Each
cable consists Of 130 strands, each represent
ing from one 10 three telephon. subscribers,
thus making $50 wires on the main line on
Liberty street. The Cherry alley line has
1000 wires and the Market street line l. ,3O0
Liberty street is now torn up for the laying
of the main, and the telephone company ex-
poets to complete the main to Water street
within few months.
A Question of Economy.
Superintendent Metzrar, of the Tele-
phone Company, SAYS his company is ready
TO comply With the regulations laid down in
the ordinance under consideration last year.
He says underground wires are better for
the companies, give as good service as over
head wires, and, while they cost much more
at first are the cheapest in the end
One reason for the inaction of the Public
Safety Committee on the ordinance last
year was the pressure brought to bear by the
Allegheny County Electric Light Company.
NThey were about to remove their plant from
Garrison alley to Twelfth street. and ar
gued that the expense of making connec-
tions, running main wires to tine seat of their
power, ETC., would be doubled if the ordi-
nance was passed, because it required the
work to be completed during the open season
OF the year ending November ID last. The OBJ
Jections raised by other companies inter-
ested all contributed to the DELAY, but the
Allegheny County Light Company will
have plenty of time for their removal under
the new ordinance, and the other points
objected to will either be made agreeable or
rejected entirely. The ordinance will
probably reach the Public Safety Commit