The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-06

SUBWAY S9ARTLER.
The State Electrical Boards
Sweeping Grant to the
Telephone Company.
CONDUITs IN ALL THE STREETS.
The Street and Water Board Will
Insist, However, on Cast Iron
Guarantees.
In ALL THE STREETS.

An apparently harmless communIca-
tion came before the Street and Water
Commissioners at their meeting yester-
day morning. II was from tho State
Electrical Subway Commission. In the
hurry of the meeting, Clerk Bouton
merely read it's title, (which was. Com
mun1cation from the State Subway Com
mission for the relief of the New York
and New Jersey Telephone Company"
The communication was not read. It
was referred to the Committee on Streets
In conjunction with the Corporation
Counsel. The contents of the communi-
cation show that the company desires to
place its wires underground and to ope-
rate It's system by means of conduits.
In this city nothing was known
OF tue contemplated move of the
Company and tue members of the Street
and Water Board We're somewhat startled
when they learned that petition had
been made to the state Board. and still
more surprised when they learned that,
that body had adopted a lengthy set of
resolutions Tor the company, which
practically places at Its disposal every
avenue. street, lane, and highway in the
city.
Lie IcdSOu given III the com IN unlcatlOQ
are that TO have the wires OF the company
put under uround will be for the public
welfare and will tend to remove from the
street upsightly poles and other para
phernalia of the overhead system.
THE CITY DISTRACTED.
That part of The resolution passed by
the State Board naming the streets To be
utilized by the company IS as follows:
Resolved. That the city Of Jersey City be and
IL hereby is divil ed into two districts:--
District No. 1, comprising all of said city
bounded by the Hudson River, Grand street,
Bates street, Brunswick and Fifth Streets
District No. 2, all of said city not comprised
In District No. l.
That the plan of construction of the system
herein authorized which Is approved shall in
clude two main subways, one through York
street. Washington street. Montgomery street.
Newark avenue, First street, Brunswick street,
Grand street and Communipaw avenue from
the Hudson River to Bergen avenue; the other
through Grove street from Grand street
to the northern limits of the city;
branches from the first named main
subway through Washington to its terminus at
the gap through Erie street to First street
with spur on Bay street to Grove street; Jer-
sey avenue to Grand street; Newark avenue to
Hackensack River; Pacific avenue to Commun-
paw avenue, and for the last named subway
through Morgan street to the Hudson River,
and through First street fromHenderson street to
Newark avenue and in addition thereto subways
subsidiary to the main or branch lines through
streets In the vicinity of those named; also the
necessary poles, fixtures and supports for its
electrical conductors along, across and above
The surface of the Streets from the several
termini of the subway as herein indicated to the
city limits and in addition thereto such other
Streets avenues and other highways as may be
required as aforesaid.
LOCAL SUPERVISION.
Under the law the company had Co ap-
ply first to the Subway Commission, but
before any resolution passed by it can
become operative the confirmation of the
local authorities Is necessary. Commits
sioner Dugan is said to have whistled a
few verses of annie Laurie" when he
learned of the sweeping privileges ex
tended to the Telephone Company by the
Subway Commission. AS the matter is
to be Investigated by the Committee on
Streets. of which Mr.. Dugan is Chair
man, it is very probable that some iron
clad agreement will have to be entered
into by the company for the proper re-
pair of the streets after they have been
torn up.
The Subway Commissioners have di-
rected that creosoted wood or other suit
able material be used in the construction
of the conduits. The conduits must be
eighteen inches under the surface of the
street. not less than one foot outside of
the curb line and the same not more than
three feet IN width and six in depth.
All manholes must be kept below the
surface of the street. The conduits must
all be used for the operation of the police
and fire lines unless these should obstruct
the wires of the Company. used for its
own business.
The Commissioners seem to think that
the company gets entirely too much
without compensating the city in the
slightest degree. MIR. Dugan mostly
fears that the streets will be badly dam
aged by the laying of the conduits. un-
less an agreement is entered into, making
it COMPULSORY for the comDany to nj, ace
them in as good repair as it found