Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-19


Lighting Company to continue the work
mentioned above. Only 100 feet of 36-way
conduit was laid, however. in place of the
old Away conduit on 18th street from Ohio
to Pennsylvania avenues, in order to be in
advance of certain street improvements
there. The company also rebuilt pa feet
Of conduit on 18th street between G street
and New York avenue, replacing 142 feet
OF 6-Way and seventy-two of Away with
24-way conduit.
I'm widening the roadway of 5th street
from q street to New York avenue. it be-
came necessary to move a portion of the
conduit Of the Potomac Electric Power
company in the west side. The company
built 12-way conduit between H street and
Massachusetts avenue to replace a similar
conduit destroyed by the street work At
the corner of 9Th and F streets, where the
City and Suburban Railway Company $
tracks meet those of the Metropolitan Rail-
road Company. the Potomac Electric Power
Company abandoned 1873 feet of 12-way
conduit and built POI feet and one addi-
tiona1 manhole different line"
Under authority Of Congress, Mr.. Allen
says, certain other conduts We're laid by
railroads. and in transferring the fire
alarm headquarters from the District build
ing to the new quarters in No. IA engine
house numerous short extensions of con-
Quits have been made, he adds, by the two
lighting companies, in order to reach GER
tain premises nothing larger than four
way having been put in
In the Way of General System.
The clause in the appropriation act for
the year 1860 granting authority to the
commissioners to permit the repair, en-
iargement and extension of electric light
ing conduits renders the plan for a general
conduit system almost impracticable. The
building of additional conduits for electric
light and telephone purposes was prohibited
by Congress after April l, 1892 conduits
Tor electric railway purposes being exclud-
ed The very wording of this restrictive
clause shows that Congress intended to
consider general system 1t is as fol-
lows: Until action by Congress upon the
report of the board appointed to consider
the location. arrangement and operation of
electric wires in the District of Columbia
the Commissioners shall not
permit the additional construction
OF conduitS or subways etc
The mileage of conduts in existence in
1913 Is shown by the following table, taken
from the annual report of the engineer de-
partment for that year: United States gov
eminent, = 4O% miles; District government,
4.c0& miles; United States Electric Lighting
company, so miles; Chesapeake and Po-
tomac Telephone Company, 1870 miles +;
western Union Telegraph Company, 1907
miles: Postal Telegraph Gable Company,
: 60 miles. Chose marked with an asterisk
are cables laid in asphalt. now abandoned }
NO additions We're made to this amount
untll 1897. when Congress authorized the
placement underground of certain wires in
georgetown and the building of one and a
quarter miles of additional conduit there
under which authority 237 miles of con-
aunt t2hoZ miles of GucD We're laid. At the
same time it authorized the extension of
condults to Mount Pleasant Washington
ana Columbia Heights, but so indefinite was
the wording of the act that just how far
the company could go under the authority
was a matter of grave doubt and it was
not until after the injunction was obtained
by rival company that the question was
settled. Under this act alone 50 miles of
m I1C of I,;1
with the recent consolida ton of the cleo
tric lighting and electric railroad interests
.he TWO systems are so closely united that
IL is hard to separate them The same
Hachlhes IN the various power houses fur
hish current for railroads and for public
and private lighting; their conduit systems
are even now interconnected
HIhere has been total increase of 40 30
miles or conduit over that in existence in
1913, none of which has been built with
any general plan in view, each company or
corporation laying its own system to meet
It's own needs 1t is earnestly hoped that
some definite legislation may be obtained
at the coming session of Congress so that
a carefully drawn plan for conduit extern
slons may be carried out in all future con-
struction.
Overhead Wires and Poles.
United States Electric Lighting Com
pany.-The changes in this company's over
head lines have been the removal of the
wires and poles from c street from 9th
street to 1872 street, 1872 street from G.
street to Pennsylvania avenue and on f
street from 1872 street to and into AL
baughs alley; $40 feet of pole line and
1"S,364 feet (2o.G3 miles, of single wire
have beer taken down. The only wires
erected have been 1856 feet of house con-
nections authorized under the law. The
majority of the unused poles of the COM
pany in alleys have been reset.
Potomac Electric Power Company
Under authority of the act permitting the
extension of overhead electric lighting
wires west of Rock creek and outside OF
the fire limits, this company erected a
poles on the Grant and Military roads
eastward from Tenleytown, and strung
1863 feet of wire and poles on the Tun-
law road. carrying 5,120 feet of wire. In
addition to this it has added only two
house connections, including 12O feet of
wire.
chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company.-The operations of this company
have been confined to replacing worn-out
and dangerous poles throughout the city.
the erection of new poles in the alleys
where necessary for house connections and
the Stringing Of additional wires for ser
vices existing lines On trunk lines ex-
listing on streets and avenues the company
strung IU5,3S@ feet (IG17 miles, of single
wire, and G250 feet 1.1s miles, of 25-pair
aerial cable to replace an equal amount Of
single wire. The amount strung on alley
lines for house connections is not known,
as all such work is done monthly per-
mits. Separate permits are required of
wires on street lines for each connection
desired
I'm widening the roadway of 9Th street
from c. street to New York avenue it be-
came necessary to move the poles forming
ii part of a heavy main line of the telephone
company. This line also carried about
twenty wires belonging to this department.
Arran;~e m. hts were made whereby all these
wires were carried on the alley poles be-
tween 9TH and 9th streets, the two sets of
wires being placed on aerial cables. Six
poles were removed from the street.
western Union Telegraph Company
Continuing the work of the previous year
this company has replaced its line of poles
in 9TH street from New York avenue to
Florida avenue. and the old line On 18th
$, rect from New York avenue to l street
Mutual District Messenger Company
This company has continued to string its
wires without authority, having been de-
tccted and stopped in several instances.
The methods employed by its men in get
ting the new wires in place make 1t difficult
to catch them and prove a case in court
against the company. Old and unused
wires existing near premises to be con-
nccted or in the route of proposed line
have been appropriated by the company
and used to draw in the new wire.
Fire Alarm and Police Telegraph and
Telephone-'rhe old line of poles on 11th
street northeast was replaced by the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com
pany without cost to the District, the poles