Evening star., 1896-10-01
OVERHEAD WIRES.
Erection of Poles in the City by the
District Authorities.

Erection of Poles in the City by the
District Authorities.
In talking about the erection of poles in
the city by the District authorities, Mr..
e. /. Booraem said to Star reporter:
1.-The person who furnished the informa-
ton contained in recent article in The
Star, that but one pole had been erected
on the streets, and that one. at 11th and o
streets. was for the purpose of a test box,
was either wholly ignorant of the facts or
willfully misstated them.
without going away from my house
zoos o street, 1 can locate poles at 10:h
and P, 10th and n, on NJ between 10th and
11th streets, on l. between 10th and 11th. in
addition to the one at 11th and streets.
The article further states that the reason
given for placing these poles on the streets
and in the alleys was. for lack of funds 10
place the wires under ground. l was in
formed by the workmen that the poles
We're being substituted for the underground
fire alarm system, which had proven de-
fective, and, Furthermore, that the inten-
ton was to place the poles at every point
where fire alarm box was now located.
II this be true, the citizens of the District
will soon enjoy the delightful sigh; of
seeing high poles twenty inches in diameter
and 65 feet high located in front of their
houses. as we'll as placed in narrow alleys,
SO as to obstruct them and prevent easy
access; and, in addition thereto, enjoy the
privilege of having the walls of their
houses or fences SCARED or marred by the
heavy coal or slop carts that daily pass
through them in their efforts to avoid the
poles.
referring to the alley adjoining my
residence which is but ten feet wide, ard
where one of those poles has been placed,
the superintendent in charge admitted that
1t was a mistake to select these narrow
places, and while deprecating the annoy
ance the unsightly poles must give, ne had
no alternative but to obey his instruc-
tiors.
had with the surface railways to prevent
the erection of poles the statement made
that it would be much more preferable to
put the wires underground, but that the
hardly tenable. Those who are acquainted
with legislation know that all bills affecting
the District are first sent to the Commits
sioners for their approval or Glsapproval.
and reasonable conclusion Is that they
gave sanction to the plans now Icing car
ried out.
This action on the part of the Commits
siorers Is a sad comment upon their re-
cent utterances and profuse promises that
no more overhead wires should be strung.
Witness their action recently when an ef-
fort was made to prevent the Western
Union Telegraph Company from replacing
an old pole at the corner Of Pennsylvania
avenue and 18th street
THAT all wires," he added SHOULD 20
underground goes without saying, and yet
in the face of the Commissioners actions
regarding all trolley poles. even to pulling
them down, We are confronted with an
open defiance of public sentiment by the
action Of those whose duty it should be
to carry out the expressed wishes Of Con-
gress. and the universal demand Of the
taxpayers OF the District. The further
erection Of these poles should cease, and
those already up should be speedily re-
moved"