Evening star., 1901-10-03
USE OF ELECTRIC CONDUIT
cORREsPoSDENCE RESPECTING ONE
ON FIRST STREET.
Recomme ndation That United States
Company Be Required to
Vacate a Duct.

An interesting paper in regard to the use
of electrical conduits in the District is now
before the Commissioners. 1t is under
stood that the District electrical depart
ment recently desired to run cable to the
Business High School through one of the
ducts of the United States Electric Light
ing Company. The department found, how
ever, that the ducts assigned to the use of
the District and the United States govern
ments had all been occupied by the electric
company Mr.. Walter C. Allen, the cleo
trical engineer, recommended that the Dis
trict build a duct for it's use along the
thoroughfare in question.
The paper was referred to the superin-
tendent of sewers, who very bluntly said
that while the new construction would not
interfere with any sewer lines, it seemed
to him that the better way was to require
the company to vacate a duct and then the
new construction would not be necessary.
The view of the superintendent of sewers
has been approved by the Engineer Com
missioner and the papers are now with the
other members of the District board. The
Endorsements on the application of the cleo
trical department to build the new duct at
District expense are interesting. t.
Electrical Ensineer's Views. -
The electrical engineer. said: acc NJ. "a.
Permission was granted to the United
States Electric Lighting Company July Il,
1889, to- extend its conduit from its man
hole in the alley entrance, on the west side.
of 1st street between B and G streets
northwest southwark about 26O feet. AS
the law requires the building of three ducts
for the use of the United States and Dis
trict governments, the company built a
four-way conduit.
After the opening of the census office. at
1st and B streets, the company drew in
three large cables to supply current to that
building. and later two other cables to
ply current to the public arc lamps on that
street, thus filling up all Of the ducts. l
wrote a letter to the United States Electric
Lighting Company requesting it to va
cate one of the ducts. The companys re-
ply is inciosed.'
In it's reply the company said 1t would
deem it favor if the District could make
other arrangements along the stretch.
which would allow 1t to retain the four
| ducts which it was using, in lieu of the
| privileges which were open to the District
| to use any of the companys conduits when
| 1t had them to spare. The electrical engi-
neer, commenting on this. continues:
This department now occupies over 300
! feet Of the electric lighting companys con-
| duits in which the District has the right
under the law. The department also oc
cupies 900 feet of conduit in which the
| District has not the right, but which priv
| ilege has been very kindly granted by the
| company. In view of the fact that the
cables supplying current to the census
Office are very large it is impossible to
crowd them into a less number of ducts
than they now occupy, and the company Is
| therefore unable to furnish the duct in this
| conduit which I have requested.
LAS the District now has the Of
! ducts in the city where it has right. 1
| think it but reasonable not to require the
| United States Electric Lighting Company
| to build extra ducts on this street. would
| therefore ask for authority to build enc
duct on 1st street between B and c streets
| northwest"
Suggests Order to Vacate.
| The paper was then referred to the wa
| ter department, which reported the new
conduit would not interfere with the water
pipes, and was next sent to D. E McComb,
| the superintendent Of sewers, who went
further than formal Endorsement, say
ing:
II have the honor to report that the pro-
posed conduit construction will not inter
| fere with underground constructions of
record. 1t is my opinion that the Electric
Lighting Company should be served with
notice to vacate the ducts required by
law to be reserved for the use Of the United
States and the District of Columbia If
this be done, it will not be necessary to
construct the conduit for which authority
| is requested"
Capt Chester Harding, u s. A, as
sistant to the Engineer Commissioner, for
| warded the paper to the latter official, say
ing:
I'm view of the fact that the electric
| lighting company occupies the ducts which
according to the law under which the con-
duit was authorized should have been re-
| served for the United States and District
governments, and which, if now available
for the District, would make the construc-
| tion of the new duct by the District unnec-
| eSsary, l concur in the opinion expressed
| by the superintendent of sewers that in
| stead of constructing a new duct notice
should be served by the District upon the
| electric lighting company to vacate the
ducts mia wfl11V uSad nv them
Commissioner Beach has approved this
recommenda lion.