Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-04-02
THE POLICE COMMISSIONERS
Matters Considered at Their
Session Monday Night.
ELECTRIC WIRES UNDER GROUND
Cost of Cable for Police and
Fire Departments.
Poiicemen Commented for Prompt and
Heroic Action-Providins Police with
bicycles for Emergency Calls Recon-
mended by Judge Ban and Chief Doian.


bicycles for Emergency Calls Recon-
mended by Judge BAN and Chief Doian.
A meeting of the Board of Police
Commissioners was held Monday night.
Pursuant TO request made at the last
meeting the following communication
was received and read:
Wilmington, Del, March 30, 1896. -
To tho Honorable, the Board OF Police
Commissioners of the City of Whining
ton: Gentlemen: Replying to your com
munication received by favor of Chief
Of Police Dolan, under date of March
26th, requesting more positive figures
as to the cost of the conduits, what
would be the total cost of installing it
complete.-say from Front to Tenth op
Market street, &c., | have TO say 1t
is difficult to state with any degree of
exactness what a conduit on Market
street from Front to Tenth would cost
Much would depend upon the character
of the excavations, which, however, can
doubtless be accurately determined by
the Street and Sewer Department, under
whose auspices the entire work of lay
ing the conduits would have to be- con
Quoted. Also, upon the character and
size OF the conduits, upon which point
the executive officers of the Street and
Sewer Department would have to con
suit with the officials of the various
companies desirous of using the CON
duits, in order to establish a practical
and safe basis of estimate as to cost.
ut must be borne in mind, as an i'm
portant fact bearing upon the cost of
this improvement, that the city should,
in the first place, lay the conduit at
It's own cost This conduit may be
made to comprise any number of ducts
for the accommodation of the wires of
the various companies desiring to use
the conduits. The provision of one or
more ducts for the accommodation of
tho city wires would add practically
nothing to the cost of the entire under
taking. so that the public service
thereby rendered would be almost with
out cost. The charge to the private
interests using the cunduits would. of
course, be 80 regulated, as to provide
reasonable interest on the cost of con-
etruction, and thus remunerate the
municipality foI its outlay. and at the
same time afford ample accommodation
for outside interests, without the i'm
position Of exorbitant charges for rental.
The distance from the south side
OF Front street to the south side of
Tenth street is, according to the meas.
urement of the city engineers, LOLA. 75
. teet IL would be necessary, only, for
the police and fire alarm cable, to use a
conduit from the City Hall to Tenth
street, and the distance from the south
side of Sixth street to the south side of
Tenth street, is l, 495 feet. Add 80
feet from the south side of Sixth street
to point in front of the City Hall
where the connection would have to be
made, and the length of conduit from
the City Hall to Tenth street would be
l, 52o feet.
"To lay 20-conductor cable, in the
duct of conduit for this distance.
made up with No. IA, b. & S. c. wire,
each insulated to the standard diamo.
ter for such work, and with standard
thickness of lead. and saturated fibrous
covering over the same, would cost,
approximately, 30 cents per foot, laid
and connected up to terminals. This
would make total cost OF S533. rs for
laying such a cable from the City Hall
to Tenth and Market Streets aside
from the incidental cost of connecting
the cable with our police and fire alarm
system.
SIN my former communication to
your honorable body, gave figures of
the costsof laying conduits for carrying
underground wires. The construction
of the conduits is, as l have above
stated, matter for the Street and
Sewer Department. The point of par
ticular interest TO your honorable body
is the cost of laying such cable as
the Police and Fire Department would
require; and this information | have
herewith submitted.
Respectfully submitted,
-. W. Aydon,
Superintendent Police and Fire Alarm
Telegraph. +"
The board, recognizing the bravery
OF several officers at the fire at No. 12
East Second street, last Wednesday,
adopted the following:
Resolved, That Sergeants Evans
and McDermott Wagonman Harkins
and Oificnrs Shields and Maloney have
the hearty thanks and congratulations
OF this board for prompt, heroic and
commendable action on the occasion of
toe lire at Conner saloon on the morn.
ing of March 2Jth, in giving the alarm
and in being instrumental in rescuing
several persons who otherwise might
have perished IN the hames."
Chief Dolan stated in his report that
the examining board will be ready for
the men in few days, and that tho
officers will be prepared to take the
poiltb cenbllS blb nrhI OF next month,
Officer Mclaughlin, who failed to re-
port on one occasion was suspended for
Que day.
The commissioners considered the
questions of having bicycles at the sta
tion house for the Use of the officers in
answering emergency calls. Chief
Dolan and Judge Ball both thought the
arrangement would be good one. The
members of the board also looked upon
IN with favor, but no action was taken.
The matter will be further investigated.
Chief Dollan, in speaking of tho matter
after the meeting stated that there are
times. between / o'clock and 5. 80 in
the morning, when there ara no street
cars running, whore wheels for the use
OF s.ergeants and captains would greatly
facilitate matters.
Good for Zearfoss.
Pa" Clarke has made a request of
the New York management that Zear-
foss be assigned to catch his delivery