The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-08-20
Companies May Take Lines Of
the Poles Voluntarily.
TALKS WITH ELECTRICIANS


u
the change each independently, while
others object 70 the expense at this time.
Ine objections raised By the owners of
wires carrying light currents were stated
In an interview by W. b. Armstrong, who
has been connected with telephone and
telegraph companies for some years and is
now manager Of the instantaneous Fire
Alarm Company. in which be said:
believe all the telegraph, telephone
and electric companies will put their
wires underground when il becomes 3
commercial necessity, but il is unresson-
able TO expect them 10 do il now. / should
not be surprised 10 see the telephone CON-
pany take the initiative Of its own free VIII
In few years. but should be greatly sur
prised 10 ses il 90 with the other COM
panies into the use Of single conduit for
all their wires. II the city made one con-
duit large enough 10 admit of man walk
ing upright through it and divided the
space among the different companies there
might be some reason in expecting them
TO 20 into il, but In small conduit the
cables have to be drawn through with ropes
and all would be close together. People
have got the idea Of the Paris sewers into
their heads m taking of conduifs, but
q
through and the cables ara placed on
racks, far apart and thoroughly insulated.
There are several objections to the joint
use Of a conduit by electric light wires, as
we'll as telephone and telegraph wires.
Telephone wires cannot be insulated in
the same manner as electric light wires.
because the rubber used in the best insu-
lation to prevent the escape of the current
from light wires in itself creates counter
current, for the insulation has an electro
static capacity which is greater in good
than poor one. Telephone companies
use wire in underground cables which is
not as well insulated as that in some aerial
cables; in fact. the most approved form of
underground cable Is known as dry cable
and is simply wrapped with cotton with
out being paraffined or oiled. The con-
densation in the conduit would be inn
mense, as the air would be colder than
the outer air, and the collection OF water
resulting would Afford passage for the
escape Of the currect. i cannot conceive
of any system of conduit in which the
trolley wire would be associated with the
telephone, telegraph and electric light
wires. for il would require an open slot TO
get the contact and that would admit
water, mud and filth to the other wires.
"These are the objections to the joint
use of small conduit by the different
wires, but they do not apply to a large
conduit such as that in Paris, nor to sep
arate conduits for each company. There
would not be the same objection TO the
placing of telephone and telegraph wires
together as there is to associating them
with electric light wires, but the fact Is
that every company having wires wants
full control of its own property and does
not want to be hampered by joint use of
facilities with any other company. That
is only human nature. and that is the chief
reason why they should have separate con-
duits.
I'm San Francisco the Sunset Telephone
Company has put its wires underground
in the business district of its own volition
and similar companies will do the same in
ali cities as they grow. The conduit con-
sists OF square terra Gotta things about
hve feet long and seven inches square
with vitrifed surface. These things are
placed end to end and wrapped with bur-
lap which has previously been soaked in
asphaitum. The main cables, there as
elsewhere. have accommodation for 100
subscribers on each. The wires are all
distributed from poles placed In the alleys
and at other convenient points.
II think the time has come when the
people should not be uuduiy anxious
about underground construction, be-
cause, as this case shows. the companies
are coming to il IN any case. An immense
amount OF experimenting is being done in
the making Of underground cables and
underground construction of telephone
wires and of an entirely different kind for
electric light wires. A start made by the
city III the matter of permanent pave
ment would do more TO interest the yari-
Gus companies in taking up underground
construction than anything else / can
think of, for the increased cost and labor
of taking up and replacing such pavement
is in itself enough TO make il an object for
the companies 10 anticipate such a step,
especially In q growing city like Seattle.
1T Is a subject for investigation, so that
the best system may be adopted In
Brooklyn q commission was app tinted to
thoroughly investigate the matter and IL
reported in favor OF a subway"
DIR. Z. c. kilbourne. president of the
Uaion Electric Company. said: II don't
see the necessity of imposing this hard
ship on the city a; the present time. There
is not city in the country of less than
i75 900 inhabitants which has underground
electric wires. Minneapolis is the smallest
city in the country where it Is done peo-
pie suppose that the wires are all under
ground in New York city. But they are
not. and ii will be many years before they
are. OF course. while the initial hardship
will fall upon the light. telephone and tel
egraph companies, il will finally
come out of the community, be-
cause the companies will raise
their rates sufficiently 10 make their
patrons pay for the interest on the invest
ment. In New York city. where the stores
are close together, the advance IN electric
light prices was from 20 80 80 per cent
Here, where there are not so many con-
sumers within the same area, the cost of
the conduits will be proportionafely
greater, and think they will cause an ad-
vance in rates OF fully 30 per cent. This
not only means an advance in price 10
private consumers. bat IL will nearly
double ihe cost OF the city lighting, and
besides the city will have 20 pay its share
Of building or using the conduits for It's
two systems OF police and fire alarm tele-
graphs. Ii is impossible 10 estimate VIA.
the conduits would cost, because there are
various kinds aud sizes. | should Judge
they would cost from s. 90 30 $4,000 a
mile. and TO cover the FIRE district OF tbs
city would perhaps make the total cost
$500 sa