The Washington times., 1901-09-07
AFFAIRS OF The DISTRICT.
An Amendment Proposed Relating
to Private Street Lamps.
The Stringing of Wires to the SchIey
Court of Enquiry Requested
Prosecution Of the Liquor Cases
Crged-Thc Dnthing Beach Plans.

Thomas j Fisher. the acting Electrical
| Engineer. yeste rday submitted to the Com
| missIoners a recommendation providing
| for the amendment of Article XII of the
| Police Regulations. The amendment re-
| lates to the erection and care of private
| lamps in various parts of the city. Under
| present conditions there are no proper
| regulations governing this class of street
lights. and it is the purpose OF the pro-
posed law to place the private lighting of
streets or alleys under s''itdble rcguia-
tions. similar to those which govern the
public lighting of the Highways. The
amendment recommended ies.iows:
No private lamp-post or lamp shall be
erected or placed in any public street.
| avenue, alley, or road of sh. District of
| Columbia, except as authorized by spe-
cial permit in each case, to be obtained
previous TO the erection of the lamp-post
or lamp
IF the erection of such private lamp
| post entails the cutting or removing of
sheet asphalt, cement, and brick pave
ments or other improved surface, no per-
nit shall be issued until deposit to COW
er the cost of replacing same shall have
been made and no authorized under
ground construction shall be injured or
interfered with.
part thereof shall he painted, ornamented
or lettered a sign or advertisement.
Every private lamp shall show white
light and colored lights will not be per-
mtted.
NO private iamp-post shall have a
greater diameter than eighteen inches.
Every private lamp III public streets,
avenues, and roads shall be 50 placed
that the distance from the sidewalk TO
the bottom of the lamp or lantern shall
be not less than eight feet, and on public
alleys shall not be less than fourteen feet
from the pavement.
wv hen II private lamp is suspended from
an arm attached to a building, the dis
tance of the point of suspension from the
building line Shall not exceed six feet
When the arm carrying the lamp is placed
at the corner of building the perpendic-
ular distance of the centre of suspension
from the building lines shall not exceed
six feet.
When private electric light is placed
in any public street or avenue the yires
leading to it shall be placed underground.
No private lamp placed at the curb shall
be connected by overhead wires to the
service of any house, and lamp sus-
pended from an arm attached to a build
ing shall be connected by overhead wires
TO any pole or pole line.
'Ail service wires for supplying current
TO any building or premises for light or
power, whether connected to mains car
ried overhead on poles or underground in
walk and parking underground"
The Western Union Telegraph Company
has made application for permission to
string loop of two wires over certain
streets to be used in connection with the
Schley Court of Enquiry. The route which
these wires is to take is from the Balti-
more and Potomac Railroad Company's
pole at the southeast corner of Seventh
and X Streets southeast to the telephone
no nf
Streets southeast, thence westward along
NJ Street upon existing telephone poles
into the United States Navy Yard. The
company also asks permission to string
loop of wires from the telephone pole in
the alley between L and NJ Streets and
Seventh and Eighth Streets southeast.
thence westward along existing telephone
poles into the navy yard.
In reporting TO the Commissioners upon
this application Thomas j. Fisher Jr.
Acting Electrical Engineer, states that
the stringing of these wires is authorized
by the national telegraph act of 1866, the
wires to be used for interstate telegraph
business in connection with the Court of
Enquiry. He states that permission has
been obtained from the telephone COM
pany for the use of the poles referred to.
and that the permit will stipulate that
the wires shall be removed within ten
days after the final adjournment of the
trial.
1t is understood that the Commissioners
ground that the Court of Enquiry is In
the nature of a public emergency, and.
therefore, within the purview of the law
of 1866.
Albert Z. Shoemaker, attorney for the
Anti-Saloon League of the District. has
addressed the Commissioners relative to
the suspended cases for the unlawful sale
of liquor on March 3 last. Several ar
rests We're made of hotelkeepers for ille-
gal selling on that day, the eve of the in
auguration ceremonies The cases were
brought before the Police Court in May,
and at the request of the Commissioners
were postponed.
Mr. Shoemaker in reminding the Com
missioners of this action on their part
states that in the minds of many their in
reference in the trial Of the cases was
unusual and unwarranted. because the
actions against the bar keepers were reg
ularly brought, conforming in every parti-
cular to the requirements of the law.
Mr.. Shoemaker states further that since
the action of the Commissioners the cases
have remained in statu quo. except that
two of those to be prosecuted have Sc
cured a nolle pros.
There appearing to be no good reason
why the cases pending should not be
pushed to speedy trial Mr.. Shoemaker
asks that the Commissioners give the
necessary directions to that end
Mr.. Fisher the Acting Electrical En-
gineer, yesterday forwarded to the Com
missionsrs his report upon the application
of the Potomac Electric Power Company
to erect six poles on Albany Street, from
the Great Falls Railway to the corner of
Forty-ninth and Albany Streets north
west
Mr.. Fisher states that the stringing of
wires contemplated by the erection of
these poles viii carry the line across the
Conduit Road. He produces letter from
Lieut.. G. NJ Hoffman acceding to the re-,
quest of the company provided that the
construction be made under the super
vision of the watchman of that division
and that the wires be removed upon de-
mand of his office
Mr.. Fisher states further that authori-
ty for the erection of the poles and the
stringing of the wires is found in the
joint resolution approved July s, 1898.
DIR. William Tindall, Secretary to the
Board of Commissioners. has received an
Invitation from the committee of arrange
| ments to attend. at the Pan-American Ex-
position, the exercises of Rhode Island
Day" This celebration will take place
September TO- in the New England States
Building.
DR. Tindall has made several visits to
Providence upon District matters, nota-
| bly, to make a study of the system of col
lecting garbage in that city, and to make
| personal examination of the system of
| card record In the tax office. His ac-
quaintance with the municipal officials of
| Providence brought him the invitation
ferred to.
The recent falling off in the attendance
at the bathing beach has been so mark
ed that Superintendent Stevens will
there. If the present increase in the tenn
L.. /