Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-09-05
MUST GO UNDER GROUND.
THE NEW TELEPHONE ORDINANCE COESD-
Erred LAST NIGHT
By the Council Committee = An Interesting Dis
eussion on Street Car Fsndss-Ihs Bicycle
and Other Ordinances.

The Council Com mittee on ordinances
held 4 very important meeting last
evening, to consider a number OF
measures now pending in Council. In
addition to the membership OF the
Committee and the City Solicitor, there
was quite a gathering Of telephone
and street railway men, brought TO-
gether by the knowledge that the street
car fender ordinance and the new teie-
phone franchise ordinance were to
come up among others.
The ordinance making it compulsory
on street railway companies to use
safety tenders upon all cars was nrst
taken up. The ordinance requires that
all cars shall, within four months after
the passage of the ordinance, equip
every car with a suitable fender and was
designed TO take the place OF 3 some
what similar ordinance, passed on June
26th last When the ordinance had
been read, President Champion submit
ted a document 10 the Committee, In
which the Company set forth that it was
greatly interested 10 securing suit
able device, but called atten-
ton to the fact that the
Vasant-Johnston appliance, named
in the first ordinance, would
project four feet beyond the ends OF the
cars, making the eads Of the cars, thus
extended, project so far beyond the
track, on curves, as TO be source OF
danger rather than of safety. The Com
pany said il was not TO be understood as
opposing the adoption Of any safety
appliance, yet IL called attention to the
fact that the Company had met with no
accident within two years which any
safety fender would have prevented.
City Solicitor White criticized the new
ordinance submitted adversely, and
made a number Of suggestions regard
ing it, and was followed by Mr.. Erskine,
for the Railway Company, who called
attention to the very numerous
curves on the Wheeling line, all
Of them short and sharp, and
by way OF Illustration of some Of the
objections to existing devices, be cited
a case where man had been struck by
a projecting fender and had q leg
broken, where If there had been no
fender he would have escaped unhurt.
Nj Erskine did not want his Company
to be,forced hurrisdly into adopting de-
vicesd about the utility OF which there
was aAqueStiOn, which might lead to &C
cidents and damage suits rather than
urayant them. Mr.. Erskine said there
was a serious question as to the feast
bility OF the fender idea, and he said the
experience in Pittsburg pointed to a
doubtful result. He thought the lapse
of time alone would settle the matter
definitely.
Mr.. Z. w. Dunaway detailed an acct
dent he had seen in Pittsburg, on July
5th, when lady was knocked
down by car equipped with fem
der. The fender went over her, and
she was run over.
Councilman Robinson stated his OBJ
servations in Boston, where the tenders
seemed to be so high above the rail as
to allow q child, or even grown per-
son, to pass under them.
After some discussion by members Of
Of the Committee, Mr.. Erskine said the
Company would be willing to send
Committee of Councilman 20 Pttsburg
to look into the matter, but Mr.. Cruise
was opposed TO any trip at the expense
OF the Company. lie thought the city
could we'll afford to bear any expense
Of that nature.
The matter was discussed at great
length, aud finally the Committee re-
commended to Council that the present
ordinance be suspended until the Com
mittee made an examination OF tenders
and makes further report. A Com
mittee will go to Pittsburg to look into
the whole question, aud the Railway
Company is asked to also conduct an
investigation.
The next matter taken up by the
Committee was the ordinance granting
franchise to the Peoples Telephone
Company The Company, in the ordi-
nance agreed TO furnish the city tele-
phones at SIS each per annum, and TO
the public at $50 per snnum.
The discussion was opened by Mr..
Cruise, who said he wanted TO see a
competing line, but the people wanted
no more poles on the streets. The
South Side people would be up in arms
against any more poles 10 the streets,
and the people OF the centre Of the city
would never stand it at all. The people
would demand conduits in the central
portion OF the city, and the use of alleys
for the pole line in the remainder Of
the city!
Mr.. Woods, for the Company, made
statement to the Committee, saying the
Company believed they had superior
system, aud they knew il was cheaper
4 ,f-h Eun far n 10
saving 10 the people. To require the
Company to lay conduits would defeat
the plans OF the Company, as IL had not
the means TO put the wires under
ground. The proposed pole line would
not encumeer the streets any more shan
they were at present, as the ola tele-
phone pole line would come down. He
did not think the people would object TO
the poles, in view OF the advantages
offered.
Mr.. Robinson asked II the bulk of the
stock was held by citizens Of wheeling,
aud Mr. Woods said il was so held,
there being but one outside stakeholder
Charles Selden.
Nj Robinson then recalled attention
to the fact that the long distance Com
pany had 40 trouble in getting right,
and be did not think our own citizens
should have any trouble.
Mr.. Alfred Caldwell, for the Central
Telephone Company, said that COM
pany had spent much money to put its
wires under ground, TO the end that the
streets might be relieved OF great o0.
struction, and that the same progress
made in other cities might be made
here. He referred to Mr.. Woods claim
OF merit for his system, and said that
without being offensive, he doubted the
proposition. II it had the merit