Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-13
He Questions the Statements Made
by Major Powell.
RHAT ELECTRIC LIGHT PERMIT
What the Records of the Commits
sioners' Office Show.
A MIX RE OF ATE S

versy with Major POWELL said Capt.
Thomas to Star reporter this morning. 'It
was sought not by me, and his statement
was only replied to because he had wanton-
ly, If not viciously, attacked the United
States Electric Lighting Company. Mr..
Powell in his interview of last Saturday
seems inclined to muddy the water. 1t is
not question between Mr.. Powell and my
self whether or not the United States Elec-
trio Lighting Company neglected or refused
to occupy the territory north of the cities
of Washington and Georgetown with 1000
poles, and with ninety odd miles of danger
Gus overhead wire, upon the gratuitous sug-
gestion of Mr.. Powell, without warrant or
permit and without an appropriation to this
day ever having been made for light out
side of the city of Washington by incandes-
cent light. While it is true that the United
States Electric Lighting Company did
fuse TO make bid it was well aware at the
time the proposals were issued that there
never was dollar appropriated for that
purpose, and that no effort had been made
by the Commissioners looking to that end,
save and except an effort made by Major
Powell last February to get an appropria-
| ton of $500 for incandescent lighting for
the suburb known as lexington. So much
for that point.
The Question UndispOsed OF.
"The question raised by Mr. PowelIs at
tack on the United States Electric Lighting
Company, which seems undisposed Of, is this:
| Major Powell says in his former interview
that the permit was issued 'squarely and
honestly and that the United States EIec-
trio Lighting Company, not having a prior
application before the office, was not I'M
fairly treated.
In his interview of Saturday Mr.. Powell
says II substance that after the preliminary
effort on the part of the so-called Potomac
Light and Power Company, and random
lines run by them, a line was finally adopted
by themselves and by the Commissioners,
and that on the 18th day of November, 1895,
the permit was issued, and that represen-
tative newspap er men having applied for
Information about the permit, he directed
the permit clerk to show them all the papers
in the case land, as his interview would SO
lndlcateo the newspapers having published
the issuance of the Permit. The United
States Electric Lighting Company, two days
thereafter, with full knowledge of the per-
NIT having been issued filed the application
| in controversy.
Mr.. Powell that 1 Lad filed application
i on the 14th of November, 1885, for pole
| line ever certain section north of this
city, and upon his objection to a certain
| pc rtion of 1t l changed my request to that
of a verbal application for conduit; that
l had heard nothing from the application
| till the appearance of Mr.. Powells inter
| view. / also stated that from his inter-
| view 1T was Shown that on the 4th day of
December he neld up my application, stat
| ing that he would not issue permit so
| long as the question raised by the injunc-
| ton suit by the United States Electric
Lighting Company against the Commits
| sioners raising the question of their au-
| II GRITTY TO grant permit for e pole line,
with overhead wires, was not disposed of,
| and that Notwithstanding his statement
| that he would issue permit, he did
| upon the return day of the Injunction. and
Only half an hour before the calling of the
| case, issue permit to the Potomac Light
| and Power Company, which permit had
| been secretly issued some time prior Not
| understanding what Mr.. Powell saws in his
Interview of Saturday, l reiterate what
statement by the record.
Whit the Records Show.
THE records of the Commissioners Of
flee show the following order:
December 10, 1S95.-Ordered, That per-
init be issued fer an overhead electric line,
| as requested by the Potomac Light and
! Power Company in their application of the
9th instant, subject to notifications as to
route and to the location and character of
| the poles as may be prescribed by the en-
gineer department.
Official order furnished engineer da-
partment. By order of
Go.gneD NV. TlNDALE, Secretary.
The records of the engineers office of The
District of Columbia show the following
Pei iaiI issueu december ~, 1885 mot as
Major Powell would have the public be-
!ieve on the 18th day of November nearly
a month prior to the real issue of the per-
mlt9 The permit is as follows:
december 10th, 1895. Permission is here
by granted to the Potomac Electric Light
ana Power Co. to erect poles and string
wires along the following roads, VIZ. From
| the Intersection of Woodley road and
hllnsie Ford road along klingle Ford road
| to Lowell street, thence to 10th street ex-
| tended, thence to kenesaw street, thence
| to Sherman avenue, thence to Bismarck
, street, thence to 7th street, thence to Lin
coin street, thence to 9th street, thence to
College street, thence to Linden street.
| thence to Elm street, thence to LIE Droit
avenue thence to street, thence to South
capitol street, thence to r street, thence to
Brentwood road.
also from the junction of Kenesaw
| avenue and Sherman avenue to Whitney
avenue eastward on that avenue to the
Soldiers Home entrance.
Poles between klingle Ford road and r
street must be set straight, painted black
for height Of fifteen feet and white above
that, with cross arms not less than thirty
| five feet above the level Of the street The
exact location of the poles shall be as
hereafter established by the street depart
| ment of the District of Columbia.
"All poles to be used by the United States
and District of Columbia governments free
of charge.
by order of the Commissioners OF the
| District of Columbia.
Signed H: NJ. wooDwARD,
Permit Clerk District of Columbia
"The Potomac Light and Power Co. &C.
cept the above terms.
"(signeD H. T. PURDY, Agent
When Made Public.
"And this permit was not given to the
newspapers of the city Of Washington until
| the 18th day of December, 1895, two days
| thereafter, as the files of every newspaper
| OF the city of Washington will show. 1t
| would be charitable to suppose that Maj.
| Powell was mistaken in his dates, and that
| re had read December 10 as November II,
| were 1t not for the very patent and labored
| effort on his part to show the fairness of
| the transaction Of the issuance of the per-
| nit to the Potomac Light and Power Com
| parry, on the ground that it was a mere Sc
| quence to a long attempt on their part to
MIe--Ae