Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-20
The RICHMOND DISPATCH-sUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 90 1885,

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! would not work. II was thought that the
/ current was too strong. and an Immediate
/ request was made for the use OF the cur
/ rent OF the Richmond Railway and Elec-
| trio Company. They replied that they
v,ould not furnish current until formal
request was made in writing from the
proper official OF the Richmond Traction
I Company. one OF the officials had TO be
| found, and By the time that could be
/ done and getting the request 10 the Rich
mond Railway and Electric Company II
was too late tor them 70 render any
/ assistance Men were promptly put
! 10 work by the Traction Com
/ many 10 do everything possible.
/ Headliehts were taken from The cars. and
an incandescent lights accessible were
used. The men looking for the cause OF
| the trouble OF the nou-actiOn OF the arc
/ lights found out that late ia the evening.
I without any notice whatever. the circuit
/ OF their lamps had been cut and the two
/ old lamps had been taken out and carried
/ away.
/ Mains" continued the General Manager
! '.to make the Illumination "a success. and
went 10 the additional expense OF between
! 500 and 500 for this purpose. for whicn
! thew made no charge. Besides. they
made an additional subscription OF SO to-
wards other expenses Of the committee
The following IS a copy Of d statement
/ Of Mr.. vs.. H. Hail. over his own sigma
/ ture Nj Hall is the representative OF
/ the virginia Agricultural Society. and
I lives on the grounds.
"Rlchmond. Va. September 10. 1896"
81 hereby state that / saw an employee
Of the Richmond Railway and Electric
! Conpanv take lamps from the Audito-
rlum building on the night Of September
18TH between and O'Clock p. N.
,S'pp4D Nv. II. HALL"
Position Of the old Company.
The Richmond Railway and Electric
Comuanv claims that it was in no way
| respousible for the failure Of the manage
ment 10 have lleht for the Auditorium. Mr.
! E. W. TranorI. superintendent Of the
/ Uebt depsrtment Of the company. made
the following statement last night:
"a little before o'clock In the evening
I received q telephone message stating
that the Traction Company had found
that their current was too strong for their
lamus. and asking II the railway company
would turn on it5 current. / requested a
written order. which was received AZ the
Hotel zimmerman AZ 7:20. In the mean-
while however. / had given urgent orders
for the necessary supplies 10 be gathered
together and the necessary linemen 10 be
sent for so that no time should b. lost
Having gathered my force and material
when the written order was received
from Mr.. T.. r. williams, OF the Traction
Comuanv's counsel. l proceeded AT once
with my force 10 the Auditorium. Upon
arriving there. however J found the
building crowded. and the Traction COM
pany's foreman said that the Richmond
.frfn ~ "a
of DID service TO them, az they had suc-
ceedsl themselves in lighting The building
pretty well
ain giving the order. Mr.. Williams In
serted a clause to the effect that ihe
feryice should Doe rendered AZ the RAILWAY
comuanvs usual rates 10 which Mr.
Trafford replied that there should be no
question of rates, as he considered me
situation at the Auditorium pubic
calamity, and that the Richmond Ran
way and Electric Company would furnish
the service cheerfully and without
THOSE TWO LAMPS.
soeaklng OF the two arc lights referred
TO by Mr.. HabustOn. Of the Richmond
Traction Company. Mr.. IrahorI said:
"Tbese lamps were used by the Rich
rnond Railway and Electric Company du-
ring the reunion for lighting one Of the
small outbundlugs. When We removed
our propertv from the exposition build
ines after that event they were left
there. and instructions were issued 10
return them to our works whenever our
men should be working IN that vicinity
on last Thursday evening, between tho
hours OF and 6 o'clock. our arc lght
wire passing through the Exposition
Grounds was cut. The trouble was To-
Gated and temporary repairs made.
"On Friday an order was issued 10
some Of the company's employees TO fix
no permanently the place I'm which our
Inc had been cut the previous day, ana
return the two lamps left at the expo
sition buildings to the company's stock
room.
"Upon arrival OF our men at the Ex-
position Grounds they looked for the arc
iamps. and were told that some men had
fust removed them. They finally located
the lamps. took them down, and carried
them away IN the company's wagon ian
the manner described, after notifying a
police officer that they had removed them
and that they were the property Of the
Richmond Railway and Electric COM
pany
Had we known that the Traction Com
pany had appropriated our lamps for
their own use. without asking our con-
sent. Instructions would have been issued
TO slow them 10 remain, although the
laups could not have been OF any service
TO that company. being constructed for
use under essentially different electrical
conditions from those which the Traction
Hor4rqDkr InH VrOXilcl 10