Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-10
STOPPED THE WORK.
Police Prevent Wire StrfnEins, I'm an
Electric Conduit.


Worknen il the employ of the United
States Electric Lighting Company were
engaged this afternoon in placing w:res in
the conduit Of the company on 14th street
between street north and B street south.
Information of the proceeding reached the
District Commissioners Office ard orders
We're Immediately Issued to the police to
stop the work. Officers Of the first precinct
went TO the scene at 80 O'Clock and
caused the work TO be discontinued, ard
| ali officer was stationed there to prevent it
BENZ, renewed. No arrests were made.
The Electric Wire Contest.
The Commissioners are doing everything
they can to strengthen the Districts case
against the United States Electric Lighting
Company for putting up the pole at the
corner of i5tn street and Pennsylvania
avenue 1t is well known that underground
conduts exist under the sidewalk of 18th
street. hut President Thomas of the Elec-
! trio Lighting Company hes maintained that
they were already well filed and not cap
able of carrying any more wires, at least
| they were not nearly sufficient in capacity
fer carrying those that existed overhead.
When the application for the erection Of
the pole refused. President
Thomas, it is said, applied at once for au-
thurity to construct an underground con-
cult Of sufficient capacity to carry all over
head wires. This permit however, was re-
fused, although the Commissioners had
been recently advised that the decision of
Judge Bingham did not apply to the United
States Company, and a permit for the con-
du:t could be granted.
The engineer department has recently
sent it's inspector Of electric lights to ex-
anime the conduit, in order that when the
case was before the Police Court, testi-
mony might be given concerning the ca
pacity of the existing conduitS What he
found is not known, but the Commissioners
flank ,,ar nf
the Electric Lighting Company. which
might result in placing more wires under
ground. yesterday afternoon issued the fol-
lowing order:
The police are directed to prevent the
United States Electric Lighting Company
from Str.nging any new wires in their 14th
ard 10Th streets coEduits, other than wires
which are now strung upon poles along
sIch streets. Even the existing overhead
wires must not be put into these conduits
except by a permit from the District En-
Sineer Commissioner.
The Wire Removed.
THE authorities are beginning to open
their Official eyes to the violations of the
law prohibiting the stringng of overhead
wires. Yesterday policeman reported
that some time during Sunday night two
overhead wires had been strung over 18th
street, just north of Rhode Island avenue.
This information set the Commissioners
thinking, and they acted at once. True, no
penalty was attached to violations of this
character. and the law was practically in
operative. Nevertheless. they believed they
could proceed against the law breaker un-
der the police regulations. and sent the
superintendent of telegraph and telephones
followed the Illegal wire from pole to pole
until finally its responsible end was To-
Gated in the Office of the Western Union
Telegraph Company. Orders from District
and the lneman was prepared to cut it
down. But Mr.. Marean promised to re-
| move it, and yesterday afternoon the wire
was taken down.