The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1896-01-21
CITIZENS fear THE WIRES
Arguments Continued 10 the
Electric Light Case.
POWER OF COMMISSIONERS
Counsel for the PrOtestants Insists
ity to DisfiSure Suburban Streets
With Unsightly Poles and Danger.
Gus Wires.

| A big map, as many colored as Joseph's
| coat. was Il feature OF the argument before
| Chief Justice bingham this morning over
| the proposed pole line of the Potomac
Power and Light Company, encirciing the
city, from Chain bridge by Georgetown TO
| lexington.
| The poles and wires are already up as
| far as klingie Ford road, at WoodIey Park.
| a permit was granted soon after the sale of
the lexington Light plant by Commissioner
| Iruesdell to, the Potomac Company. to ex-
| tend this line to lexington, but Anton
| Gloetzncr and other property owners along
the Route at once objected and got an in
junction from Judge Bingham forbidding
the erection of the poles. This was a little
before Christmas.
The poles had already been hauled, and
lay along the streets as physical evidence
that the Potomac company expected TO
push through its overhead wires.
''-''-- MADE THEM MAD.
The sigh, of them reused the Indignation
of citizens who appreciate the danger of
such wires aud were demanding 4 hearing
before the thing WIS done. A / the meetings
of the Columbia Heights aud the Mount
Pleasant citizens associa tons fiery speeches
were nmadc against the grant of the per-
mits.
The Injunction case came up before Chief
Justice Bingham yesterday and the papers
were read. Mr.. j. X. Redington for Mr..
Gloe:zuer and other protesting citizens this
morning set forth the law upon which they
base their opposition. He pointed out to
Judge Bingham on the map The proposedline
p no ,uir Cd
parcels of properly along the line owned by
the parties complaining.
He did not omit II $4,000 tract at
Bloomingdale, half of which belongs TO
President Thomas of the United States
Electric Lighting Company.
He said these citizens had right to pro-
tee ion of their property. Men might be
able to live and enjoy life beside an elevated
railway, with smoke and cinders blowing in
at their windows. as some do in New York
city, yet the Commissioners had no right to
ask these citizens to submit to the dangers
of overhead wires in front of their doors.
WAS INToLERABLE.
These wires are excluded from the city
proper; it was intoierable that they should
he forced upon ais, one of the most beauti-
full and tiickly-settlcd suburban sections
He give brief review Of the acts OF
Congress. under which he held that the
Commissioners must proceed in this case.
These he had already compiled in the
case of the United States Electric Light
ing Company against the Commissioners in
the case OF laying an underground conduit
to Il livery stable at Thirty-th!rd and NJ
streets, Georgetown.
From these he maintained, first, that
the Commissioners have no authority to
disfigure the suburban streets with UNI
slightly poles and dangerous wires; second.
they certainly had no right under the con-
solldation act of 1895, joining Washington
and Georgetown, to allow the use OF
wires erected in Georgetown since 1888,
when the prohibitory act against overhead
wires in washington was passed.
Mr. Redington closed with a reference
to the cxtraneous matter in the answer
filed yesterday.
Mcssrs. Henry E. Davis, d. s. Macakll
and ;. T. Thomas were present for the de-
Tense during the morning. and will occupy
the time of the court during the remainder
OF the day.