Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-11
COMMITTEE INVESTIGATED puuLA-
DELPHIA coNpUrTs YESTERDAY.
PLEASANT STAY IN THE QUAKER CITY.
Entertained by Municipal omcers
and Dincd Mt Hotel waiton-Fca-
lures OF the D"y-rhe Great City
Hall-A Carriage Drive.


leave tomorrow at noon for the Vir-
sinia capital. where they will arrive late
IN tho evening. The very pleasant and.
doubtless. profitable, three DAYS tour of
inspection closed this afternoon with an
examination OF scs.e Of the conduit
systems OF Philadelphia, which has over
"A dozen systems. and twice as many
conduits as any other city in the United
States. New York and Boston not ex-
cented.
The committee were received here with
the same cordial hospitality that marked
their arrival and stay in New York. and
the city electrical officials supplemented
the Efforts Of the American Telephone
and Telegraph Company's representa-
tives 10 make their movements plea
SAINT. and 10 give all the information
available with reference TO the subject
under special investigation.
DEPARTURE FROM NEW YORK.
The Richmond party left New York
at 10 o'clock this morning. There was
"a light rain following, and the fog was
so dense as to make the travel in the
harbor both tedious and more or less
dangerous. The trip 10 the Quaker City
was made on the Chicago Limited,
which is said to be one Of the hand
soonest trains that run on any road in
America. Only one stop was made en-
route. and the party arrived soon after
noon
Awaiting them at the station were
General-Superintend Hovey. Of the
long-distance company, and Mr. +. w.
Griffin District Superintendent whose
IL.
take In Richmond II the franchise asked
for there is granted. The visitors were
taken directly TO the City Han and
shown through some of the most in
teresting departments Of that great
stone structure, which has been build
ing for over twenty-three years. has
cost about IS 10000 and yet lacks a
good deal of being in a finished state
The hall is said TO be the finest in the
Union. and all its appointments are rich
and elegant There are in it over 800
rooms. many Of which are court, city,
and committee chambers. The Coroners
courtroom is about the size Of most
OF the cOurt-rooms IN the City Hall Of
Richmond.
LOOKING AT CONDUITS
The delegation were first ushered into
the electrical bureau, where they We're
welcomed by Chief David r. Walker and
Manager John c. Sager. who very fully
discussed with the committee the general
subjects OF telephones and putting wires
underground Chief Walker, who bears
a high reputation as an electrician, has
been in charge Of this important branch
Of the city's affairs for more than forty
years, and it is largely due to his deter
mined efforts that Philadelphia was one
Of the first OF the great American cities TO
cause all electric wires 10 be put under
ground. He fought for this for years, and
the laying of cOnduits began here some
twelve years ago. IL is truly wonderful
thing I'm this city, the one OF greatest area
in our country, and with telegraph, teIe-
phones. dre-alarm, electric lights, and
electric street-car systems in full opera
ton. 10 look about and not see a single
wire anywhere except those upon which
the car trolleys run. All the rest are IN
cables several feet underground. Chief
Walker told in a general way how all this
had come about and assured the commit
tee that all the companies and the city
had found their systems TO work much
better and that the cost Of maintenance
has been greatly reduced.
After going through the electrical de-
partment I'm a somewhat hurried manner.
the committee were taken in charge by
Messrs. Sager. Griffin, and Hovey and
shown through some OF the most interest
ing departments, and the Supreme Court
room and the audience-rOom attached 10
the Mayors suite of offices. which are
among the handsomest in the country.
The Supreme Court has quarters FAR sur
passing In elegance those OF the United
States Supreme Court one Of the officers
Of this court is Colonel Green, who spent
part of his boyhood days in Richmond.
LUNCH AT THE WALTON.
From the City Hall the committee were
escorted 10 the Hotel Walton, where an
elegant lunch was served and couple OF
hours were most agreeably spent. At the
close Of the lunch, Mr.. Bloomberg. on be-
half OF the Richmond delegation, express
"a their appreciation of the courtesies
shown them and the pleasure they felt at
being in Philadelphia. Mr.. Bloomberg
smoke of the close relations that existed
between Virginia and Pennsylvania back
in Revolutionary times as well as since
and rejoiced that since the unpleasant
events OF more recent years the teehng
Of brotherhood had been restored, and ne
hoped the union would become stronger
ana stronger as the years wore on. This
occasion afforded the speaker an oppor-
tuuity 10 refer 10 the attentions that had
been shown himself and associates, and 10
EXPRESS for all their hearty appre-
citation Of the courtesies. which could not
have been more complete.
This afternoon was given up TO a car
rage drive about the city. during which
some Of the underground systems for
electric wires were thoroughly inspected.
Zach company here has its own conduits,
and the city also has one for its wires.
This latter f. the only one here i'm which
are placed both high and low tension
wires and they are put far enough apart
to obviate the risk of Induction. The
visitors We're surprised TO find that the
ducts through which the conduts are
run are Of creosoted wood. Some Of them
have been down for eleven years, and
they are as we'll preserved as rock. The
same material is used now.
The committee had expected TO leave
for home on the y o'clock train tonight.
but as several members were somewhat
fatgued, II was decided 10 wait until
morning and not travel tonight
The American Long-Distance phone is
in great favor with the electrical officials
here IL had a big fight TO get in. twelve
years ago. and az first only gained add
mission 20 a pier on the river about one
hundred yards from the corporate limits.
The service has grown rapidly however,
and Chief Walker said to-day he thought
Richmond should offer the company
every lnducement TO enter. rather than
throw an obstacle In IT'S way. The local
service here is that OF the Bell. which
reconstructed its entire system to con-
form 10 the Americans requirements.
S. B. w.
MIR. EbeI Home Again.
Mr. +. G. Ebel was the first member
OF the Committee on Streets who went
upon the New York and Philadelphia