Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-09
WIRES ON THE BRIDGE
The Local Electrical Authorities Oriticise
Potomac Company.
Dead Wires and Alleged Poor Work
in the observation-disclosures
of Inspector Eddy.

The Potomac Electric Power Company
was. the 7th Of last July. upon the recon-
mendation Of Mr.. Walter C. Allen. the Dis
trict electrical engineer. requested by the
District Commissioners to remove it's wires
entirely from the Chain bridge. In making
his recommendation Mr.. Allen stated that
the wires did not cross the bridge and were
rot used for any purpose thereon. He also
stated that a portion of the wires on the
Canal road ran to the entrance to the
bridge and then turned eastward to the
pole line. there being also four dead wires
on the bridge.
From a report made to the Commission
ers today 1t would appear that not only has
the company refused to grant their request.
but that its wires form dangerous OBJ
struction. In this report Mr.. H. G. Eddy,
District inspector of electric lighting. says:
After repeatedly urging the company to
comply with the above mentioned order OF
the Commissioners the general superinten-
dent Of the company Informed me on the
4th instant that the company had decided
not to remove their wires from the bridge
and had SO informed the Commissioners.
Il visited the ground yesterday and found
the following conditions to exist at the
bridge:
-Four Of the six wires which ran from
the last pole on Canal road to the bridge at
the time the company were requested to
two wires remaining are dead and are tied
to pins on cross arms on the pole and on
the bridge. The four wires on the second,
third and fourth spans. and the one wire on
the first span of the bridge. counting from
the District end, have not been removed
AT the pole nearest the bridge, where
the wires turn to go up the hill toward the
Great Falls railway 1 find the following
state of affairs to exist: The wires are
slack. twisted, kinked and secured to the
cross-arms in almost any fashion and are
devoid Of insulation at many points near
the pole. One of the cross-arms has be-
come entirely detached from the pole. and
is only kept from falling by the tension of
four small wires which it originally sup
ported. An unsightly guy pole has been
erected on the opposite side of the road
from where the main line pole stands and
I was informed by the bridge tender that
this guy pole was rotted nearly In two at a
point below the surface Of the ground at
the time 1T was set. A guy wire has also
ton over the house occupied by the bridge
tender and secured to a tree. The bridge
tender objects to this wire being over his
house. l was informed by the bridge ten
der that about two months ago he had
complained about the condition Of the wires
running to the bridge to the Secretary Of
War; who in turn had requested the Com
missioners to have the matter attended to-.
In view of the unsafe and unsightly con-
dition of the poles and wires in the vicinity
Of Chain bridge. I would respectfully rec
ommend that the Potomac Electric Power
Company be requested to Immediately re-
move all their wires now on the bridge.
and put their line in safe and slightly con-
dition.
Mr.. Allen recommended to he Commits
sloners that a copy Of Mr. Eddy's report be
sent to the president of the electric COM
pany. with the request that he remove all
wires of his company from the Chain
bridge within forty-eight hours afte~ rece. pit
of such request. LAS stated in Inspector
hoe
wires are dead. and cannot be used in the
future without changing them or making
any connections to them. They are there
fore, an obstruction to the bridge. and
should not be allowed to remain. I would
also recommend that the attention of the
company be invited to the unsafe and I'M
slightly condition of their overhead con-
struction In the vicinity of the bridge, with
the request that they remedy this at the
earliest possible date. Such careless and
unworkmanlike methods as have been fol-
lowed in this case, both as indicated In In
spector Eddy's report and in his verbal
statement to me, should not be allowed 20
continue
The Commissioners have approved Mr.
Aliens recommendations and have so no
titled the company