The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-08-25
In RAILWAY CIRCLES
The Jangle Over Second East
Street Poles
Why the Salt Lake City Railroad Objects to
Being Compelled 20 Remove Them
Other Railway Notes.

The Salt Like City railway company has
submitted petition to the city council pro-
testing against the resolution ordering the
removal of its poles and feed wires from
Second East street, in which IL says;
THE recommendation that your peti-
toner be required to remove its electrical
supply wires extending from its power sta
ton along Second East street TO Fifth
South street ought not to be passed. This
proposed action is urged on behalf of the
telephone company. upon the ground that
these wires interfere with the telephone
lines extending along Second East street
and connecting with Murray and Sandy.
Before the removal OF the telephone
lines from State street to second East
street your petitioner, in order to furnish
| electricity for the operation OF its railroad
lines upon Second South, Third South and
FIRTH South streets, pursuant to authority
OF council erected the wires complained
OF. These supply wires are necessary If
the railroad lines on the last named streets
are operated and are an essential part OF
the system Of railroad of your petitioner.
They afford the most direct connection by
which supply of electricity can be fur
nished. IL they are removed from Second
South street, your petitioner would be COM
PEELED TO put up five large wires, extend
ing from its power station on Second East
street, along First South street to Main,
and thence down Main as far as Fifth
South street, distance of seven blocks.
Ibis would be a much greater burden upon
Ice streets thans the present simple and
direct method of connection. If the pre-
sent supply wires on Second East street
interfere to any extent with the telephone
lines on that street. the same wires when
erected upon First South and Main streets
would parallel the same telephone lines and
many others, and create a greater disturb
ance IN the telephone system.
1.-The fact is, and it could be readily as
certained by the telephone company if IL
had IN Its service competent electrician,
that the supply wires on Second East do
not create the disturbance which exists in
the telephone lines extending to Murray
and Sandy. These telephone lines within
the city have return metallic circuit, SO
that there can be no communication of
electricity from the railroad supply wires
60 the telephone wires. The two sets Of
wires are more than ten feet apart, aud
all the leading electricians Of the United
States, including Edison, in the various
contests between the telephone companies
| and electric railroad companies, concur
that no appreciate disturbance can occur
by Induction between railroad lines and
telephone lines that distance apart
1.-THE true cause of the disturbance in the
telephone lines mentioned is found in the
fact that the telephone lines connecting
with Murray and Sandy are grounded south
Of the city, and beyond the place of ground
ing, the electric railway system Of the Salt
Lake City Rapid Transit company is being
operated. The current of electricity
passes through the cars of that company
on Its lines TO Forest Dale and Calder 8
park into the earth and thence in
their return to the central power station of
that company within the city, directly
across the place of grounding OF the tele-
phone lines. Experiments would show
that when this company is not operating
its lines, the disturbance on the telephone
lifes referred to would not exist; and il
must be self evident to your honorable
body that if five supply wires paralleiing
the telephone lines on Second South street
few blocks materially interfere with the
operation of the telephones, that the same
wires strung along First South and Main
streets, under similar conditions, would
produce similar results.
"Hence the change proposed cannot
benefit the telephone company, but would
create an extra burden upon the most i'm
portant streets In the city, and be direct
and material injury to your petitioner, not
only in the expense of making the CHANGE
but IN depriying it of the shortest and
most direct method of furnishing power to
its railroad lines on Second, Third and
Fifth South streets.
ut is well understood that the power of
a given current of electricity decreases in
direct proportion as the distance the cur
rent is carried increases. Your petitioner
therefore asks your honorable body not to
pass the proposed resolution. or at least to
suspend action and give your petitioner an
opportunity OF being heard in support of
the statements herein contained"