The times., 1898-08-31
ABOUT lights and Wires
Inspector Allen Submits His
Annual Report.
CENSURES ILLEGAL WORK
The Sealer of Weights and Measures
Hands a List of Estimates to the
Commissioners - He Is i'm Very
Very Great Need of a Wagon-Pro-
posais for New School Sites.

Walter c. Allen, the inspector of the
electric lighting of the city, submitted his
annual report yesterday to Engineer
Commissioner Beach. The document is
voluminous and is accompanied by nu-
merous tables and Photographic views of
overhead wires in different sections of the
city.
Mr.. Allen says In part that since Sep
tember of last year the following work
has been done:
''The Western Union Telegraph Cempa-
ny has greatly improved its overhead
system by replacing large number of
old poles with new ones and substituting
copper for the old iron wIre. The re-
moval of its main office from the corner
Of Fifteenth and F Streets to the Wyatt
Building, at Fourteenth and F Streets,
necessitated a change in the routes Of its
main lines.
Illegal Work.
1.-The Mutual District Messenger Com.
pany has continued fits nIegal stringing
of wires, although only in one instance
has it been detected and stopped. This
was in Washington Heights, where two
wires were strung from Wyoming Ave-
nue. and Eighteenth Street to Prospect
Avenue and Crescent Street. 1t vas
stopped by the police during the week.
but managed, nevertheless, to complete
it. 1t was not until peremptorily ordered
to do SO by the District Commissioners
that II removed the wires It has de-
clined 70 give the Commissioners a prop
er, accurate, and intelIigible description
or the routes followed by its wires. for
the reason that ii prefers not to have
known where it has installed the burgla:.
alarm and call box system. No adjust
ment nor control of its wires can be mad
unless their location can be ascertainei.
Wires for War
Since the declaration of war with
Spain it has been necessary to string
many wires TO provide adequate service
for the various executive departments
This has been done only by the Western
Union Telegraph Company and by the
United States Government, but as no
permits were issued, anc the work no.
supervised by this department, no record
has been made of this increase in the
overhead construction. No new pole Iiues
were constructed, however the existing
lines being used in every case
THE total number of poles Cor ,elc-
graph and telephone use inside the city
limits is 2,545 line poles and 164 guy poles;
outside the city limits, 5S6 line poles ard
liz guy poles. total in the District Of
6,l4i line poles and 276 guy poles"
Summarized in Total
The report states that the total amount
of conduit laid by the Capital Traction
Company was 399S5l feet. and that the
Metropolitan Railroad Company extend
ed its underground lines in Columbia and
Washington Heights by building lateral
conduits in numerous streets. The total
amount of conduit laid was S.44s feet
and the total amount of duct SO, 7s2 feet.
The report shows that the widening Of
Tenth Street from D to f Streets last
Spring. and the relaying of the United
States COnIpanys conduit cost the Dis
trict 81, 164.9S
The Postal Telegraph Company was
given permission to rebuild its conduit
on Fourteenth Street.
IL laid S3S feet of terra Gotta conduit,
containing 1882 feet of duct.
The following figures show the length
Of conduit in use in the District of CO.
lunbia: United States Electric Lighting
1OIf4Ddny. ~. l94 Ieet OF CONDUIT, 40. 100
fee. of duct; Potomac Electric Power
Company. SC, 12O feet of conduit 59S IA
feet of duct; Postal Telegraph Company,
a. .663 feet Of conduit 1884 feet of duct
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com
pany, .7S1 feet Of conduit, 69S, ZIG feet of
duct; Metropolitan Railroad Company,
81. All feet of conduit 20i. 40 feet of duct
Capital Traction Company, 4S21S feet of
conduit, 399. .S51 feet Of duet; total feet Of
conduit. 459 S93; total amount of duct,
2,7i5 050 feet
Overhead Wires.
"All the overhead wire of the Potomac
Electric Power Company inside the city
limits have been removed, with the ex-
ception. of two services 2,29O feet long,
running principally over housetops and
containing $3.50 feet of single wire. Out
side of these limits no extensions of its
lines have been made and only three
overhead services connected in
The Chesapeake and Potomac Company
was allowed TO erect poles that enabled
II 10 connect Their line on Brfghtw0od
Avenue at the Military road TO the line
running 10 Tenleytown, by way of
Woodley road, and from Tenleytcwn to
the Chain Bricge. The report next men,
tions the stopping of the work of erect
ing poles on Chaplin Street upon the OBJ
lection of the citizens of Columbia
Heights and upon the opinion of the at
torney for the District that the Commits
sioners had no right TO authorize the
same. No additional po'es have been
| erected outside of the city limits by the
companV The report says that the COM