Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-04-24
PUT EN Under GROUND.
PUBLIC SENTIMENT IN FAVOR OF THE SUB
WAY.
The Present System Unsighly and Dangerous
What Electricians Have To Say Of the
Pending Ordinance.

That the mass Of wires which now en-
cumber our streets are unsightly and
dangerous, all will agree.
That it is feasible to put them under
ground, is no longer disputed.
That public sentiment in this city is
in favor Of clearing the streets of poles,
wires, ETC.. is beyond all question.
This result will be accomplished by
the ordinance now pending in Council,
which measure confers no exclusive
privilege, and is asked for in good faith
by the Telephone people.
A REGISTER reporter yesterday asked
a number OF people connected with cleo
trical matters and familiar with the To-
cal situation, for an expression of opin-
ion. Some of these views are here ap-
pended
Supt. Albert Caps, of the City cleo
trio light station, said:-
81 am most decidedly in favor OF put
ting the wires under ground. 1t would
not only free the streets from the I'M
slightly wires, but it would lessen the
danger of the destruction Of humanity
that we read Of almost daily"
DO the telephone wires interfere
with the city wires?"
1--WE have had no interference so far,
excepting in the central part OF the
city, where it is impossible to obtain
space for our wires on account OF so
many other wires. At several points l
remember it was necessary to string our
wires I'D in between other wires. The
Telephone Company have put in higher
poles to raise their wires above ours in
many places.
Are your wires liable to come in
contact with the telephone wires?"
"Well, you know our wires are under
the telephone wires, and cannot cross
with them unless the telephone wires
should break and fall on US. 1t would
then be very dangerous, especially dur
ing the winter months, when there is SO
much dampness and sleet."
cat what points is this most liable'to
occur?"
"Well, should say in the central part
of the city, where the telephone wires
places | know of-one, for instance, at
the northwest and southwest corners OF
Twelfth and Market streets, the wires
are so thick that we were compelled to
go much lower with our wires than we
should. On the northwest corner, we
had to tie our wires on an inverted in
sulator on the bottom cross-arm. OF the
telephone pole to make it clear with
safety"
'Are you in favor of underground
wires?"
"Most decidedly so. II the telephone
wires we're removed from Main and
Market streets, those streets would be
comparatively clear. ! am OF the opin-
ion that the city ought to have a clear
route for their own wires, and now that
one company wants go under ground,
think we ought not TO hesitate, but
give them all the chances they want"
Supt. John Bleoo, OF the Fort Wayne
Electrical Company, was asked II 1t
was not pest TO put the wires under
ground. He said:
ut is the thing to do, by all means.
The overhead wires are unsightly and
dangerous. They are constant menace
TO life and property, and ii the city has
a chance to get rid of them, she ought
TO do it. / cannot put this too strong.
In other cities, IL was only accom-
plshed after hard struggle. Here, as
| understand it, it requires no effort on
the part of the authorities. The city is
In luck"
MIR. q. S. Knight, of the Fort Wayne
Company, said:
1.-The wires ought to go under ground,
If they can be gotten there. That is the
place for them, and the proposed meas
ure, as | understand it, is good one for
the city. Some of your streets are ter
ribly cluttered up with poles and wires,
and the danger Of accident to life or
property is great. To remove the tele-
phone and telegraph wires would be to
get rid OF this element of danger. One
can scarcely pick up paper without
seeing chronicle Of al accident.
by dangling wires. The other day
here l saw a telephone wire sagging
down on railway wire and emitting
sparks every time 1t touched 1t. That
wire was liable TO burn out telephone
or a switchboard, start fire, or Kill
some one. | should say that Wheeling
has good thing before her. 1t is a
step in the right direction, and will be a
public benefit"
Chief Healy, of the Fire Department.
was asked about the desirabiity OF put
ting the wires under ground, he said
at would be great blessing to the
Fire Department If Council would make
such a condition possible. AS 1T is,
some OF the streets are so filed with
wires that il would be almost impossible
to put ladder up TO burning build
ing, and some OF these days great loss
of property, and possibly loss Of life,
might be the result. Not only do great
masses OF wires run along the edges of
the sidewalks in the business portion OF
the city, but one or more telephone
wires run into every house, max
ing a net work which is
calculated 10 bother fremeD
beyond measure. saw nothing OF the
bad appearance Of the streets, because
| am not especially interested in that.
1t is the source OF danger and liability
10 loss that am thinking Of. Then,
again, the multitude OF wires running
in all directions, foul the fire alarm
wires daily, and there results a contin-
uous tapping Of the gongs In the engine
houses and strokes upon the big City
Hall bell which causes much anxiety to
the fire department. and is calculated
to mislead them. Again, our north cir
cult is often cut out entirely by wires
becoming foul with the fire alarm sys-
TEN, and we are liable to be caught in a
bad pinch. 1t would be a great thing