Evening journal., 1896-12-01
ELECTRICITY VS.. STEAM.
WILMINGTON CITY RAILWAY co.
AND P, w. & B. RAILROAD AT WAR.

ANU ~ W. % o. nNlInOND - wan
AGENTS OF THE RAILROAD COM
PANY CUT THE TROLLEY WIRE
AND LEFT IT LYING IN THE
ROADBED OF NEW CASTLE
AVENUE.
1t looks very much as though there
will be a lively fight between the Will .
mington City Railway Company and |
the p, w. and b. Railroad Company |
over the operation of the Wilmington |
and New Castle electric railway, which |
will compete and materially affect the
accommodation trains plying between !
Wilmington and New Castle on the
Delaware railroad
The Wilmington City Railway Com
pany has always claimed the exclusive
right to operate a street railway sys-
TEN within the city of Wilmington.
About two years ago, for the con-
venience of the people of South Will
mington, it extended it's tracks from
the Fourth street line over Third street
bridge and out New Castle avenue to
Eden Park. For a time a horse car
was operated on this extension, but II
was not sufficiently patronized by tht
people of the South Side, and was
withdrawn. The Legislature chartered
the Wilmington and New Castle hlec-
trio Railway Company, and authorized
1t and the Wilmington City Railway
Company to make an operating agree
ment whereby the new company could
land its messengers in the city without
transfer. 1t is understood that the two
companies came to such an agreement
the New Castle company using the
tracks Of the Wilmington City Rail-
way from its terminus to Fourth and
Market streets and the Wilmington
| City Railway Company has recently
built out to the terminus of the New
Castle road.
Operating as it did. horse railway,
| there was no occasion for the erection
of trolley poles and wire from Third
street bridge out to the place of con-
nection.
Yesterday, however, linemen of the
Wilmington City Railway Company
strung the trolley wire out to meet
that of the Wilmington and New Cas-
tie Railway Company. It's course car
ried it over the Shellpot cutoff of the
p, w. & B. railroad, where it inter
sects New Castle avenue, the wire
being sufficiently high not to inter
fere with the railroad traffic.
Sometime during last night agents OF
the p, w. and B. Railroad Company
went out to this point and cut the troll
ley wires, not only running the risk
of being injured themselves by the
curren but also leaving what might
have been a live wire lying on the
roadbed of New Castle avenue.
From all that can be learned at the
i p. w. & b. station. this has led 10 a
lively interchange of compliments De
tween the head officials of the Mary
land division and the Wilmington Clty
Railway Company.
To-day the linemen of the railroad
company repaired the cut wire, ana
there is every indication that the VII
mington company will operate the
line. in spite of all that the railroau
company can do to prevent II.
An Evening Journal reporter cailee
on Willard Salisbury, Jr, ana askeu
him for a statement regarding the
trouble. He declined to talk, futher
than to say that the wire had been
cut and that the road would be oper-
ated.
J When asked what legal steps would
be taken. he said that that matter
would develop. His company had the
RIGHT to cross them, its tracks were
already laid across those OF the raii'
7 road company. and had been for twt
years. and no attempt had ever beer
made to tear them up