Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-03
BOTH ARE DANGERS
Grade Crossings and Overhead Wires
TouchedUp@.
INSPECTOR OF STREETS BEGGS REPORT
Putting Up Newr Telegraph and
Telephone Poles ard Wires.
DIS RIOT SUITS TRIED

RIOT SUITS TRIED
The annual report Of the general inspector
Of streets. E. NJ. Beggs, was submitted to
the Commissioners today. The report is a
voluminous document, and treats in detail
Of the subject intrusted to his care This
officer has under his supervision street and
steam railroad, the maintenance and oper-
ation the repair and protection of crossings
at street and railroad intersections as a pro-
vision for the safety and convenience of
travel. He has also the supervision of tele-
graph, telephone and electric light conduits.
also Of the gas mains, involving the selection
of routes as well as the designations of
points for the erection of poles. He also in
vestigates claims and damage suits against
the District In his report submitted today
upon these subjects he says:
"Under these different heads much good
work has been accomplished during the
course Of the year.
NOTABLY under the head Of railroads NAV
be mentioned as having occupied the atten-
ton Of this office the extensions of the
lexington and Soldiers Home railroad as
july 8, 1892
This work was gotten thoroughly under
way about the middle Of the year, and the
close Of the year found it rapidly pushing
toward completion, with the result that in
point Of track construction and equipment.
the completed portion Is one of the most
substantial roads that has ever been built
In the District.
The report speaks in praise of the heavy
rail- put down on the extension, and then
mas the following to say on the question of
grade crossings:
Grade Crossings.
THE progressive policy of the Commits
sioners regarding the protection of the
steam railroad tracks has had a wholesome
effect. and although there is no immediate
prospect Of getting rid Of the threatening
dangers Of the grade crossing, yet there is
the encouraging hope that the authorities
or both the great railroad systems have
awakened to the necessity of protecting
these tracks. as Is commensurate with the
dangers attic nding their existence
Improvements have been made through
out the lines of both roads as far as the
District line In the way of additional pro-
tective appliances. and with the erection of
two or more additional alarm signals which
the safety of travel seems to suggest at
points beyond the city limits, and the fenc-
ing of the unfenced portion OF the tracks
WITHIN the city, 1t Is believed the dangers
Incident to the thus far enforced tolerance
of steam surface tracks will have been re-
duced to a minimum. D
THE crossings of the Baltimore and Poto-
mac rt ad are kept up to high standard of
maintenance, and all within the city are
equipped with safety gates nanned pro-
portionably as the requirements of safety
and travel seem to den and. The crossings
OF the Baltimore and Ohio road are CORE
spondingIy well equipped but their STAN
dard OF maintenance IS not 50 high nor has
there been the same leffort at compliance
on the part Of this company with the or
ders of the commissioners relating to this
feature of their crossings
Overhead Linen md CouLust.
I'm addition to those, owned and operated
by the general and District governments in
the District, the following private corpora
tons own and operate overhead lines and
eonduits. or both: The Western Union Tel
egraph Company. Rapid Transit Telegraph
CC6Sm nspnasss Postal Pos Teiesraph Company.
pany, Baltimore and Potomac Railroad
Conpai y. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Compeny, United States Electric Lighting
own separate pole lines and conduits. the
most extensive overhead systems being
owned by the Western Union Telegraph
Company, the Chesapeake and Potomac
Company and the United States Electric
Lighting Company, while the underground
systems, aside from those Of the general
ana District governments. are owned by
the United States Electric Lighting Com
pany, the Chesapeake and Potomac Tele-
phone company, the Western Union Tele-
graph Company and the Postal Telegraph
Company. those of the United States Elec-
trio Lighting Company and the Chesapeake
and Potomac Telephone Company being
the most extensive.
There was practically no conduit con-
struction by any of these companies dur
Ing the past year. They were engaged
mostly in renewing their overhead lines,
replacing old with new and stronger poles
ana substituting copper for iron wires,
where use had rendered dispensing with
the latter necessary
The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company and the Western Union Tele-
graph Company in compliance with orders
or the Commissioners, have marked their
poles with their respective lanes and as
the designation of poles in this way great
~ facilitates the work of inspection, it is
hoped that 1t will be insisted upon in re-
gard to the other companies.
The United States Electric Lighting Com
pany have not complied with the orders of
the Commissioners directing the removal
OF the line of poles from 18th street north
west between + and l streets, nor of the
overhead wires across eth street northwest
between G street and Florida avenue
The overhead lires. upon the whole, may
with the exception of the Rapid Transit
which Is practically an abandoned line, and
should be removed from the streets en-
tirely.
The standard Of maintenance kept up
by the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company is exceptionally good, their pole
and wire equipment is Of the best, and
their work is expedited in the most salts
factory manner.
THE supervision of this bronch Of work
in consideration Of existing law. and the
policy of the department affecting 1t, re-
quires the exercise of both watchful care
and thoughtful study, involving much detail
Of execution. The plans Of operations, as
shaped by these considerations. has been
to guard against any possible violations of
law, and when the erection Of poles has
been found necessary to SO locate them as
to interfere the least with public or private
interests, and at the came time secure the
objects of such necessity. or If there are
number of poles belonging to a single
company or to different companies, the aim
being to secure the free and unobstructed
use of as much Of street, road or alley as
possible, the least number of poles are made
to carry the greatest number of wires, and
II 1t can be satisfactorily arranged the
lines are made to combine, all Of which is
suggestive of the feasibility Of the single
pole system Of overhead wire service.
When. however, the proposed poles were
on the line of conduits. and 1t was found
they could be dispensed with, 1t has been
the practice to encourage the utilization Of
the conduits.
Advances have been made during the
year, the outcome of recommends tionS from