The evening times., 1900-02-08

Congress during the present session will
be called upon to consider a bill providing
that all telegraph, telephone, and other
wires now strung on poles within the city
of Washington be placed underground
Such a bill, it is said. will be introduced
| in the near future by Mr.. Mcmillan, Chair
man of the Senate District Committee The
! Senator has expressed himself in favor of
! the measure
! For nearly twelve years the authorities
| of the District haye had in view the ne
cessity of forcing the companies controll
ing the overhead wires in Washington to
place them under the ground, but thus far
have made but little progress. However,
at present conditions look quite favorable
toward the desired end and there is but
little doubt that in very few months the
city will be rid Of unsighuy poles and
wires and that splendid underground
system of wiring will result
The Commissioners have plan in view
regarding the construction of the under
ground conduits, which if Senator Me
Millan's bill is passed, will undoubtedly
be followed.
On July l, 1899, the two electrical COM
panies of the District, namely, the United
States Electric Lighting Company, and the
Potomac Electric Power Company, had, re-
spectively, $3.50 and 649S miles of wire
strung overhead on 734 and 469 poles made
of wood and iron, and in addition there
were 431 miles of wire used by the United
States
Rapid progress has been made of recent
years toward perfecting the conduit sys-
TEN of the District, and many miles of
conduit are being laid each succeeding
year.
In 1893, in the annual report of the
Engineer Department, was the following
statement:
"Conduits in Washington: United States
Government. PA miles; District Govern
ment 460 miles; United States Electric
Lighting Company, miles; Chesapeake
and Potomac Telephone Company, $50
miles; Western Union Telegraph Company,
so miles; Postal Telegraph Gable Com
pany. 233 miles. Total, 20.07 miles"
II is interesting TO note by the follow
ing report of the same department for me
year ended June 80, 1899, the great in
crease In the number OF miles Of conduit
and the various companies controlling
these systems:
The United States Electric Lighting
Company had in use July /, 1899 24l .S42
feet of conduit: the Potomac Electric
Power Company, 57.924 feet: the Chesa-
peake and Potomac Telephone Company,
1871 feet: The United States Government,
80 feet; the District of Columbia, l95 feet;
the AnaCostia and Potomac Railroad Gem
pany 245 feet: the Capital Traction Com
pauy 4S,21S feet; the Metropolitan Rail-
road Company. 1886 feet. and the City
and Suburban Railroad Company, 42,0l0
feet. There we're thirty-one eonduits On
July / OF last year. the total number of
feet in which amounted to 5l9,94 or over
IS miles.
During the year ended July l, 1889, in
the District Of Columbia many conduits
were laid; more than in any one year
previous. The following is a statement
from the report OF the Department of
Engineers of the District regarding the
amount OF conduit laid during the year
ended June 80. 1899, by the various COM
panies.
The United States Ele tric Lighting
Company laid during the year, s,320 feet
Of conduit: the Potomac Electrical COM
pany, 1887 feet; the United States Gov
ernment. So feet; the District of Column
bia, 195 feet: the Anacos ia and Potomac
Railroad Company, 245 feet; the Metro
politan Railroad Company, 1853 feet, and
the City and Surburb3n Railroad Company,
5000 feet.