The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-17

If the present plans of the Sunset Teie-
phone and Telegraph Company are car
ried into effect. all OF their multitude of
wires in the business portion OF the city
from Western avenue on the west to
Third avenue on the east will shortly be
placed in mains underground. and the
main Offices of the company will be To-
Gated in a new brick building to be erect
ed on Third avenue, seventy feet north
OF Spring street.
The company has purchased lot 5ox1i0
feet in area on the east side OF Third
avenue. and will erect a brick building
siiereon 10. be devoted exclusively TO the
business OF the company. Contempora-
neous with the erection Of the office build
ing the company viii begin the work of
laying mains on the business streets OF
the city. and will place their wires under
ground as fast as ii Is possible to do SO.
These improvements are conditioned. OF
course. upon the attitude OF the city au-
thorities. Mr.. Louis Glass, assistant gen.
eral manager of the Sunset Telephone and
Telegraph Company and OF the Pacific
Telephone and Telegraph Company, of
San Francisco. is in Seattle for the pur-
pose OF inaugurating these improvements.
I'VE will simply ask the city to give US
permission TO lay mains on the principal
business thoroughfares and TO place our
wires under ground said Mr.. Glass TO a
Post-Inteligencer reporter yesterday.
I'VE are not waiting until the Council
passes an ordinance compelling us,.to do
this work. The fact of the matter is that
the business now being done by our COM
pany In Seattle has grown to such great
dimensions that We are compelled to pro-
vide ourselves with better facilities for
handling it. We intend to establish III
Seattle the improved facilities and meth
DDS OF doing business that prevail in San
Francisco and all of the large cities Of
tina country.
From Four Big streets.
The importance OF the improvement; will
be realized when it is stated that the I'M
slightly network OF small overhead wires
win be taken entirely from the four prin-
cipal business streets OF the city, as well
as from the alleys between them The
business blocks will be reached by cables
connecting with the lateral mains which
traverse the streets running east and
west.
Mr. GAS outlined briefly the plans OF
the company In the work OF placing all
of the telephone wires under ground.
"At the beginning" said Mr.. Class, "I
should say that we are moving In this
matter from the fact that our present
s,.D1,- tn. es-
for the accommodation of the business
done. Affairs have reached that stage
when 1t Is absolutely necessary for the
company to prepare for extensions of
service which are being constantly re-
qIired. Another factor in the situation is
the re-planking of Third avenue. 1t will
be the aim of the company 10 make prep
ara,ions for the laying OF our principal
mains on Third avenue before the re-
pank.ng Is completed
when the Improvements which have
been Planned for Seattle have been car
ried out, the telephone system here will
be placed on the same footing as those
of San Francisco, Portland, Los Angeles,
Oakland and other large cities on the Pa
cific coast. AS in those places. the i'm
provement will be of permanent and
substantial nature. Our plans fer the
work In Seattle. which have been per-
fected to the last detail, contemplate a
list of subscribers aggregating $50. or
more than three times what we have in
Seattle at the present time, SO that You
can see we are looking ahead.
The principal main will be located on
Third avenue. running from Pike street
on the north TO Yesler way on the south.
II Is possible that we shall find II neces-
sary 10 go south OF Yes.er way. but this
has not been fully determined on yet.
Now, going from Third avenue 10 Second.
First and Western avenues, we will run
laterals down the streets running east and
west These laterals will traverse each
alternate street. OF course the lateral
mains In the district bounded between
Yes.er on the south ard Madison on the
north viii be larger than anywhere else.
We shall attempt only TO cross Second
and First avenues, which are pared.
Where we cross First and Second ave-
nues with the lateral mains win be To-
Gated brick manholes. averaging in depth
a trifie over six feet and varying in area
according 10 the size OF the main. From
these manho.es will be run cables Lead
ing 10 the corners OF the buildings These
cables will follow the fire walls, entering
the buildings at the places best suited for
the purpose. In some cases we Will go
into the Easements. In others II will be
necessary TO adopt some other means.
4 New Building.
The distribution OF the service wires
VIII be made Inside OF the buildings as
a rule. We will expect to entirely obyiate
the necessity OF crossing over the tops OF
the buildings with either cables or wires
and to leave all alleys entirely free from
Instructions OF any kind"
~ small part Of the coinpary's plans
for improving it's property In Seattle VIII
be- the erection Of a two-s;Bry office build
ing on Second avenue, seventy feet north
OF Spring street The building WIFI he of
brick and viii cover a piece OF ground
20 feet wide by 10 feet deep. The In
terror arrangements OF the rooms have
been designed with particular reference TO
convenience IN handling TIE business OF
the system and the comfor, OF the en-
ployes.
The total cost Of the improvements VIII
reach So 90. Mr.. Glass said that IL every
thing was favorable the mains should be
laid and she cables and wires put under
ground Within three or four months.
Work on the building vii. ne begun as
49,