Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-13
OVERHEAD ELECTRIC WIRES.
Something About Their Dangerous
Work md the Damage They Do.


To the Editor OF the Dispatch:
The Morning Herald Baltimore)' tues
day, November l. 1898, has this 10 say
The lamentabIe tragedy which occurre'
last Saturday, whereby the ives OF TWO
citizens were sacrificed to the o'erhe"u
wires. afforded a CHASTITY demonstration
thai the subway ordinance requiring The
wires to come down was passed none 100
soon.
Indeed the list OF fatalities caused Dy
the overhead wires in the city or Baiu-
more is a frightfully long one, ana ~ -
n reproach TO our municipality tnat the
conduits were not built years ago.
IL is 70 be hoped that Chief-Ensineer
Phelps will hasten the Inauguration Oh MS
important work as rapidly as possioie,
so that the peril which now iheh'Oes
every person who walks inc slree's n'''
cease.
In the mean time, until the wires are
nIocod out OF sight, the electrical com
anies and those using electric lamps
should be held to strict accountability
for tho due observance of all the pre-
cautions which are prescribed oy law
There has been too mucn carelessness III
the use OF electrical apparatus.
visited Washington one day last week
You may care 10 know something as 10
such matters there. Washington people
believe they have the best streets the
hest service in the world ana as lax do
| know they are right about H.
Personal Transportation is a matter OF
such moment In modern city lire thaI !.
this supposition is really correct "
great interest.
There are no overhead wires in ASH
ington. 1t is, / suppose, the only Ameri-
| can city of which this statement Is true
| and it's immunity from the dlshgurlus
| and dangerous poles and wires Is, no
doubt. due TO the form OF government eN-
listing.
If the corporation had had a common
| council to deal with they most certain'S
would have had the overhead troiley
working. But commissioners could not Dc
| influenced and it was probably NOT
worth while to expend the same EFFORTS
| on Congress that were necessary Tor such
| enterprises as the Pacific railroad OF ous"I
Trust. The local horse-car companies
/ have tried hard for years to get periIiIs-
| sion to wire their lines. Some Oh tnen n
put in cables, and finally, three year U.s.
one Of the largest companies put III "'
| underground trolley.
There is no apparent reason why cur
rent sent I'D through the bottom OF the
car should not work the motors as "elI
as one sent down through their tops, Ou a.
| the company felt so uncertain ABOUT II
| that the excavation and flttinSs We're 80
| planned that q change TO capie IN
| could easily be made, should the uhueI
| ground trolley not prove SUCCESSFUL II
| was an immediate and perfect success
| The change brought the line whlch hau
! adonted IL at once up TO the 'front.' Iahh
| among the city's street roads, anu lls
stock to-day commands higher premium
| than that of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
| line. which for many years mad the CREAM
| of the business. because IL hau tne Sa.
| Hest choice of routes, and was IoHS Win
! out 4 competitor. 49,. ,.,,.r n
| cable line. Last September It's power
| house was burned, and when the company
| rebuilt 1t took the opportunity 10 rcCon-
struct its whole line and put in the uhuer-
| ground trolley, which has proved SO sue
| cessful on the competing route -,
| ~ the recent session Congress pdSseu
enabling legislation, under which the re-
,aininS horse-car lines are being re-
organiZed and financed for the purpose VI VI
uniting i'm the underground trolle!, Cle
| cable road remains, but its directors INV
| bod the adoption of underground electro
mower under consideration, ana IL Is UNI
| Jerstood the change Will be Inaue.
| Tho roads which are now usil's me ~ -"
! deroro,,nd trolley are large systems be
tNNF1a
ana cover If well. All roads here sell SIX
tickets for q quarter Gl-6 cents eachl'
| and the different lines accept each othef ;
| ,icl,ets The transfers are not rs general
as in some cities l know OF -,,a,,.
stiu distances are by no means shgn''
Uosbinoton has long been known as the
"citv of magnificent distances, ana me
street roads have greatly lengthehed tnosS
| distances since the original deslshduoi'
was given. 1T. lila.
a ticket is good for six or eight miles
travel, if one wishes to use II WIN '''''-
| fers. Ill,
II roads i'm washington can grow rich
on 41-6-cent fares, Notwithstanding the
cost of putting in underground electric
newer the fact affords basis for the ad-
| vocates of street railroad reform else
| where to work on.
That they are growing rich think there
can be no doubt; their securities are con-
| sidered "gilt-edge," their stock Is at a
large premium, and the avenue me put
i'm the underground trolley without being
required to do no.
Won will find this report i'm Calendar
No. 72S, Senate, March IA, 1898, ordered 10
be printed. Report NO. 6l5)
Office Commissioners Of the
District of Columbia,
Washington, February ., 1873.
Hon. James Mcmillan, Chairman OF Com
mittee on the District of Columbia,
Senate:
Sir.-The commissioners of the District
of Columbia have the honor TO forward
herewith copy of report by Captain Ed
ward Burr, United states army, assistant
TO the Engineer Commissioner, showing
damage to subways and other public
works in the District of Columbia due 20
electroHtic action, TO which they respect
fully invite your attention, and IN the
conclusions OF which report they heartily
concur Very respectfully,
JOHN w. ROSS. President.
Office Engineer Commissioner
District of Columbia.
Washington, February s, 1888.
Captain W. NJ. Black, Engineer Commits
sloner. District of Columbia:
The purpose of the accompanying bill
IS to protect all metallic underground
constructions, such as gas and water
mains service pipe, telephone, and tele-
/ graph cables, etc, from destruction 10y
electrolytic action due to the return OF
electric currents through the earth from
the point at which they are applied tc
the place at which they are generated.
with the large increase of late years
in the use of electricity for lighting and
power purposes the damage resulting &c
underground metallic construction from
the use Of the ground or uninsulated re-
turn has greatly increased, and the evils
from such an incomplete system OF dis
tr.bution for electricity are beginning tC
be fully realized