Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-11
NOT IN SAFE CONDITION
Complaint Made Against Trolley Line on
Fourth Street.
Alleged Carelessness Upon the Part
OF the Railway Officials-COm-
E,issiOners Issue Order.

| AS the result of a complaint filed with the
| District Commissioners by Mr. w. s. Dan
| iels, the Commissioners have directed the
| City and Suburban Railway Company to re-
| pair its overhead trolley line on 4th street
| between 7 street and Bunker Hill road
northeast, and take other precautionary
measures, the Commissioners having been
informed that the line in question is in an
unsafe condition.
In his complaint, Mr.. Daniels charged the
officials of the railway company with GRIM
inaI carelessness in the manner in which
they neglect the wires carrying the electric
power between lexington and the Cath
Ole University gate, a short distance from
Brookland. A wire recently broke at this
point, he stated, and was not repaired in a
workmanlike manner, but was tied to the
crossbars with ordinary rope. For two
weeks passing cars were compelled to re-
move the trolleys and catch the wire again,
thereby loosening the wire at other places.
The wire is Off the inSulatorS in a number
of places, said Mr.. Daniels, and is tied up
with rope in a great many other instances.
MIR. Daniels related an instance where a
man riding bicycle escaped death from a
swinging wire simply by passing along a
few minutes after it had been tied up.
"As you know, complained Mr.. Daniels,
land certainly the officers of the company
know it. these wires carry an enormous
electric power, and it is astonishing that
they permitted to remain loose falling
to the ground, off the insuators, tied with
ropes, and in other dangerous conditions
for indefinite periods 1t is more than as
tonishing. II is disgrace and an outrage
that a corporation using the rights of way
in this District should SO abuse them. OF
course, know what their excuse will be-
They are working RAPIDLY another
route. This route, however, is not graded
yet and there is little. If any, prospect that
it will be ready for operation this winter
Il,,t T limit 70 hat tic hnc
right for a day even to maintain dan
gerous and rotten wire in this District, in
view of all the fatalities which have &C.
Cured through such carelessness.
The Inspectors Report.
The complaint of Mr.. Daniels was refer
red by the Commissioners to Mr.. Walter G.
Allen, the District electrical engineer, and
the police department meantime having
made similar complaint, Mr.. Allen d.
rected Mr.. H. C. Eddy, inspector of electric
lighting, to Investigate the matter and re-
port thereon. Mr. Eddy did so, and in his
report he says:
Upon inspection 1 found the trolley wire
was broken, one span was entirely missing
and the hangers by which the wire is sus-
pended on the cross-arms on the poles were
in many instances either broken missing
altogether. At these points the trolley wire
is suspended by pieces of rope, and in some
of the spans the wire says to within twelve
feet of the ground.
Il reported the state of affairs to the su-
perintendent of the company, with the re-
quest that the line be put in safe condition,
which request the superintendent promised
to comply with, stating at the time that
this portion of the line is to be rebuilt in q
very short time On inspecting the line this
morning Che 10th instant) l found that the
only repairs which the company had made
since the 1th instant was to splice the wire
where it had been broken. 1 again request
ed the company to put the line in safe con-
dition Immediately, and they replied that it
is impossible to secure hangers and other
material required to repair the line in this
city, and 1t would require several days to
secure 1t from anywhere else.
Method Suggested.
1.-The line can be put In safe condition.
temporarily without the use Of hangers by
replacing the rope, which is now used to
support the wire, with pieces of span WIRE
a globe insulator being interposed to pre-
vent the current from leaking from the
trolley wire from the arm to the pole. This
would make a safe temporary job and at
the same time the line would be service
able The company has promised to do this
Immediately. also to axe the slack out of
the wire, that it will be safe distance
from the ground, and they have requested
that an Off :ial order be sent them from
the Commissioners requiring them to do
this work. / therefore respectfully recon-
mend that the City and Suburban Railway
Company be ordered by the Commissioners
to put their trolley line on 4th street be-
tween street and the entrance to the
Catholic University in a safe condition i'm
medately.''
In submitting Mr.. Eddy's report to the
Commissioners, MIR. Allen approved his
recommendations. and the Commissioners
have directed the railway company to at
once place its trolley line in a safe condi-