Evening star., 1900-12-03

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self-evident as to require no demonstra-
tion." The Commissioners recommend an
appropriation of $4,000 for a building for
that purpose. It is hoped that the District
may no longer be obliged to use por-
tion Of the stable in the rear Of one OF
the police stations, which is the only place
now available for morgue
The total number of deaths investigated
by the coroner during the fiscal year was
IT'S, decrease of six from the number in
vestigated in the year before.
Electric Department.
The greatly Increased use of electricity
in the District of Columbia has made 1t
necessary to establish a new department OF
the District government, which ought to
have full recognition commensurate with
the Importance Of its work. which also in
cludes the gas al naphtha lighting sys-
TEN, telephone service and fire alarm tele-
graph. A portion Of the officers and en-
ployes Of this department are on the per-
manent rolls Of the District government,
but considerable number are simply on
the per diem rolls. The efficient head of
himself carried on the per diem rolls. AS
a matter Of business organization and for
the good effect 1t would have upon the
men engaged in the work, this department
ought to be placed on the same basis as
other departments Of the District govern
ment. The volume and importance Of the
work done by the electrical engineer appear
in his annual report.
Gas Lighting.
The results obtained from the few Wels-
bach street lights now maintained are so
successful as to warrant the recommends
ton that the system be extended, I'D for
that purpose it is recommended that the
amount be increased from 5000 to SIS 900.
Incandescent Electric Lighting.
to-
Of lighting is prohibited east Of Rock creek
by lack Of authority in the Commissioners
to grant permission for the stringing Of
the necessary wires and the erection Of
poles. 1t Is recommended that the Com
missioners be given such authority as will
enable them to erect wires and poles east
Of Rock creek and outside Of the fire limits.
Electric Arc Lighting.
e extension Of this system Of lighting
beyond the city limits can be made under
tue precent wording of the appropriation
act only where COZ Iuits exist or where the
building Of conduits would be remunerative
to the electric lighting company. There are
few main thoroughfares into the city
where the gas lighting facilities are V ,olly
inadeQC~te and where arc lights could be
maintained to great advantage. To do this
however, 1t would be necessary to eject
overhead wires, either upon existing poles
or upon poles erected especially for that
purpose. 1t Is recommended, therefore,
that the wording of this appropriation be
changed as follows:
Provided, however, that the Commission
ers of the District Of Columbia are hereby
authorized to permit the erection of poles
and the stringing Of wires thereon outside
of the limits of the city of Washington, as
in their judgment may be necessary for the
maintenance Of public electric arc lamps,
such poles and wires to be used only for
public electric arc lighting"
Another change which seems desirable is
that where there are railroad conduits now
laid, having sufficient available duct room
for lighting wires, the Commissioners
should be authorized to grant permisston to
the owners of said conduits to connect them
to public arc lamps. On New York avenue
from 7th street northwest to Florida ave-
nue. northeast, on c and D streets northea st
from I'd to 18th streets and on 5th street
from Massachusetts, to New York avenues
there are condults originally laid by the
City and Suburban Railway Company, in
which there are available ducts controlled
by the two lighting companies. BY the
wording of the act approved June 81 1885,
amending the charter of the Eckington and
Soldiers Home Railway Company the rail-
way company is prohibited from using their
conduit or cables or electrical conductors Of
any character whatever for the purpose Of
electric lighting and power, except for the
operation Of their road. 1t is suggested
that this act be amended as follows:
u.
proved June e. 1898, amending xhe charter
of the lexington and Soldiers Home Rail-
way Company Of the District Of Columbia,
and for other purposes, which provides,
construed as authorizing or permitting said
company to use their conduits or cables or
electrical conductors Of any character
whatever for the purpose OF electric light
ing or power, except such as may be neces-
sary for the lighting and propelling of the
cars and other machinery of such road and
the power house of said company, or other
property owned or acquired by said COM
pany adjacent to the lines Of the road and
necessary for the operation Of said road is
hereby repealed, and the Commissioners Of
the District of Columbia are hereby author
lied In their Judgment to permit the use of
ductors Of the City and Suburban Railway
Company to be used for public lighting pur-
poses. and are authorized to permit connec-
tions for such purposes to be made to the
conduits of this company"
1t Is very desirable that q portion, at
least, Of the above mentioned streets should
be lighted by means of arc lights and this
proposed legislation will permit this to ne
done without the building Of additional
street conduits.
Telephone Conduits.
Attention is invited to the fact that the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com
pany is prevented from building conduits,
eltNer 10 OuFy us e11Stln8 wires or 10 MAKE
extensions to its existing underground sys-
tenn, while the electric lighting companies
enjoy unlimited privileges in this direction.
The telephone company Is ready and willing
to take down great many Of their over
head lines. which they cannot do, however,
without the building Of additional conduils.
A carefully drawn-up bill was introduced
in Congress at it's last session, which would
not only relieve this restricted condition of
affairs but enable the company to extend
its house connections by means Of over
head wires outside Of the city limits, which
they are now prohibited from doing by the
existing law. This bill Oh. R., No. 9O59 has
many features which 1t would be desirable
to have enacted.
Under the present law no telephone wires
of any description or character can be
erected outside of the city limits, and with
in those limits only such wires as can be
strung from alley pole to alley pole. This
restriction has resulted in depriving nu-
merous citizens of telephone service and
has worked hardship to many. Some relief
in this direction is urgently demanded.
District Wires.
The electric department has succeeded in
the majority Of the telephone
lires maintained by the District, substitut-
ing metallic circuits for old grounded cir
cults. There remain but three engine