The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-08-29
City Electrician Writes
Him a Letter.
Mr.. Cummings Informs the Press
About Existing Conditions.

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his attention to the dangerous condition
of the electrical lines in Deering and
Offering certain recommendation as 60
tho best method of Improving the oondi-
tion of affairs there and protecting life
and property.
In the city ordinance relating to the
duties of the city electrician one section
/ is as follows: . s.i...s
1t shall tie his duty TO thoroughly in,
form himself in regard to the location OF
all telegraph, telephone, or other electric
cal lines within the city, and SO far as it
may affect life or property, She situation
and condition of all electrical appliances
whatever, promptly reporting 60 the
Mayor everything he considers hazard
Gus, also any violation of statute laws or
city ordinances.
1t was nnder this section. that Mt.
Cummings wrote to the Mayor his letter
in which be gives an excsIlsnt Idea of
the exact condition of affairs insthe Deer
ing section.
| 10 PRESS reporter who called upon
him last evening Mr.. Cummings said:
I'm my opinion the condition of affairs
in the Deering district is dangerous in
the extreme. I have recognizes this dam
ger for some time, but owing to the jeal-
ousies between some of the electrical
companies which are operating there ]
have hesitated to take any steps in call
! ing attention TO the existing condition,
as the ordinances authorizes me to do.
In what say am not referring to any
1
cal lines in Deering, but to all of them.
As they are at present there is great
danger to the people who rass daily be-
meath these electrical lines. very much
doubt If any of them. as they now are,
can stand real strong wind, and am
quite sure that severe ice storm would
| bring many Of the wires to the ground
With the voltage used in this district a
live wire in the street is dangerous
thing for any ofIs to touch and when an
accident from this cause occurs in Deer
ing it may cost the lives of not only one
but perhaps three or four people. 1t
would be a terrible thing to have an a,ci-
dent of this kind occur, but it wouli
seem worse II the public knew that the
danger was recognized by some one who
may be In position to. prevent anything
OF this kind, by improving and strength
ening the lines. The city electrician has
very little power to remedy the evil, but
the Mayor and Board OF Aldermen can
this very much. 1t isfor thls'reason that
1 have written the Mayor letter calling
his attention to the condition of affairs
in this section and mailing some recon-
mendations which hope will be taken
under consideration by that board.
sin the frat place the most dangerous
section is on Forest avenue, from the
electric railroads. power, house to the
Maine Central station at Woodfords.
There are poles along this street carrying
10 or more wires that are not strong
enough TO carry four. The poles are not
large enough and they are not high
enough. The electric wires cross and
re-cross the street and the stretches are
SO long between poles that the heavy
copper wires sag down In the middle I'M
IL they are much too near the ground.
recall one place in Woodfords where the
wires come within ten feet of.the street
|
nearer the street all tho time because the
poles which support them are not strong
enough to bear the strain. If these wires
should fall upon an electric car or upon
q team there might be a frightful loss
of life as result.
sThen the cross arms on the poles are
too short, SO short that there Ia only 10
Inches between the inside pins This
brings the wires too near together. The
proper distance, as called for by the
New England Underwriters rules Ia 20
inches. Twenty-four inches would be
lall right, but the wires should at least
be "a inches apart on these cross arms.
This would give the linsmen chance to
set up to the wires at any time AS 1t
now Is st would be dangerous for a line
man to try to reach come Of the wires in
wet or damp weather. This should be
attended TO as the smen who handle these
wires are taking their lives in their
hands and there Is danger for the pub.
lie in this condition OF affairs as well
"In some places in the Deering district
the wires ara attached to the trees. As
a result many trees have been killed and
this sort of wiring Is very dangerous.
recall one place in Woedfords where two
large branches of a tree have been burned
OF by the electric wires and the tree has
been killed.
sit is my idea that..the board of alder
men should make some rules or pass
some ordinance regulating the method o.
putting wires In the streets. the height
i