The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-30

City Engineer Thomsoe returned rom
an extended Esatsrn trip Yesterday after
neon, fresh and vig1rous- Ii reply 20
questions Mr. Thomson said: This pub
nc has been fully advised Of the general
purposes Of my trip. % vii only speak
CT those things not already reported. While
in pittzbarg I spent . day 10 the Home
Of manufacture from the arrival 81 tn
iron ore 70 ffs conversion into amor
csase
Il spent one day In whessing. W. Va.
Were . great deal Of brick pavement has
been laid Whsslisg 10 the fortunate pos
SCISSOR Of . most able city engineer, Mr..
Alvin l.. White. Under his hand the city
10 getting vsry SubssantiS1 improvements.
The nsturaj beauty Of wnessins aaE vi
jewellers there. however. have bssn salts
6sf 20 leave nature unAdsSrsd
AZ WasasnGroa City I spsss come time
with boyhoD1 fssssdsl Taxing ne trolley
IKE We vent oyss through Alsssndr1s xz1
down the Potomac 10 Mount yefnoa- Here
found the ose Wa1hissson hoDs In the
hards Of a socssty VINO make . scrf Of
bs-peep snow Of i,, sa1 nzny Of sns Wis
tsors treat ~ A. such think there was
noting on my whole trip more Offensive
70 ne sssn the conditions and spirit szr-
rounding the tomb Of Wssatnefsr. IL
sssns 20 ne % 10 . shame and disgrscs
20 cur nassonL
TO nay mind our soysrnmsn, should
cwr this OF homestead ard broad con-
neossas strip Of Land from Mount vernon
% Washsnxron. The ws0ss shouI6 DE- In
legitimate Doiscs care. TIE coiics might
5s GISisrs detailed % that duty.
In bastimoss I spent . day on municipal
Affairs. This 10 . gYsar city. Doing an as
fsnissfnxfy Iarss srsAs both Wholesale and
retail. Her fock system 10 aHmtrzsIs. and
her ssrsss car essfcs 20 perfect fnat for
Scsnt fare you get thirsy-svo miles Of
rtfln8, al Through interesting ard busy
ways Her old streets are Esrrov and
erockef, Ard Chamber over ridges ard
tasknonss ard trail up through swales.
but they are fsB of evidences Of business
energy. Overhead crossings are the rule
eyeYyWhers few gTs1e crossings of tracks
being allowed. The city 10 now engaged
80 laying down ducts or tunes fhrous1
al tire principal streets. tn which sll cleo
trie wires are 20 - laid. No wires viii
Re allowed on poles. and no duets other
than nose belonging TO the city herself
can - used underground. The city 10 70
Dc responsible for the care OK all lines.
and 10 20 charge very low rate Of
rental Tire matter IL being gone into in
q wholesale way, an even miiIioa dollars
having been appropriated for the purpose,
all ~ which 10 n expected VIII be spent
By another year.
H0o0 for Espesfmenf.
The Determination OF the CITY 70 own.
operate and control rts ducts IL very IA
vorabIy commented upon by the engineer
log profession Of the East, but the whole
sale installation n criticised AZ being pos
sbIy unW.se, az experiments could have
f1< Ea@sN @SH a~5n
tire larger area buff on the lines Of any
advances made IN the science. II the city
Of Baltimore has erred in tbs I would
think the companies had equally erred In
81. Louis. as the installation Of 200 90 feet
Of ducts has just been completed In that
city. I understand that after fifty years
these o. Lou,s ducts are 70 become the
property Of the city, but are row owned
and Will be operated by the electrical COM
p4nies during the ncxt nfty years Two
very busy days IN Philadelphia rewarded
NE with vosnminous data on municipal az
fairs and msthods. am under particular
obligations 10 8r. John g Frsnfw.ne.
chief Of the water department., and Chief
Walker. of tne department 81 public safe
~. Chief Walker has held his position for
ty-three years. and looks good for several
mare. In Philadelphia both the city AMI
the companies own electric duets, but -
far az old conditions permit the city n
attempting 10 cause her ducts 70 take
precedence. One peculiar phase - their
sranch!s~s - that none OF their electric
companies can 90 commercial business ex.
cspf IN limited and prescribed districts, bat
/ for city lighting any company can com
/ pste for any district. This limits the mum.
/ Der OF wires crossing the city. and makes
I keen competition for city lighting
MY TIN. AZ New York was given Il
I visiting with friends Sightseeing and ruu
/ n!HpAi study. J spent one day Ia New