The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-18
PETITION ASKING
FOR NEW CONDUITS
Passenger and Power Company
Wants its Wires Underground.
READY TO PLACE THEM NOW
Matter VIII Be Discussed At Spec al Meeting
Next tuesday Nighi-Elseiric Line
Across the R,vsr-0tber Matters
B.fore Street committee.
READY TO PLACE THEM NOW

companv under ground except the trolley
wires. To this end a petition was pre-
scented by Mir. Miles NJ. Martin, counsel
for the company. TO the Street committee
yesterday afternoon. In presenting the
paper. Mr.. Martin said his company
wanted TO do the work at once. as post
ronement of the matter might necessltate
a delay Of months. owing to the crowded
condition of shops and mills rom Nhich
material must be secured
In view of a rule that was adopteo oS
the committee, by which all discussion
Of corporation matters is dispensed with
at regular meetings. the petition was ae
cepted and laid on the table. with tue re-
Quest that the company present TINS iran
chise proposed for discussion on lueso"!
evening, the 25th, at S O'CLOCK
TEXT OF THE PETITION.
Tho petition is as follows:
..Y orr ,,ctltiouer, the Richmond Passen-
Ger and Power Company. represents that
n. a recent meeting of the Commlttee on
Electricity resolution was passed, re-
,,,irinr at the hands of the City Attor-
ncy an expression Of his official OPINION
as to the rights of that committee IN tne
enforcement of the underground conoult
ordinances and other kindred ordinances
OF the city.
..I.rom that action OF the committee and
from the general trend Of the discussion
at the meeting in question, your pet-
TONER is advised and believes that 1t is
the purpose of the city authorities shoTliy
TO enforce so far IS may be JUST anu
proper the provisions OF the ordinances
of September 10, 1898, requiring the con-
s,ruction and general use OF subWaNs
and underground conduits IN ccrtalh pre-
scribed districts of the city
Your petitioner is now and has always
been ready and willing to obey and com
ply with these and all other ordinances
of the city, but it has not heretofore
sought to place its wires Underground
because it was uncertain to what extent
IL was the purpose Of the city TO ENFORCE
these requirements, and because IL was
advised that the city authorities had not
clearly and finally determined to what eN-
tent the existing ordinances should be
enforced to avoid patent lnlusCce ana
serious practical difficulties.
.'Your petitioner is now SatS11ed that
The time has arrived when it should en-
dcaror, as promptly as may be, TO place
its wires and cables underground IN the
prescribed district, and in order to save
as much time as possible, ana De Ell
ablcd TO take advantage Of the first op-
JortuniticS for work in the early spring
months, and in order that 1t may as
promptly as possible obtain the great
lie necessary in this work, it respectfully
,rays that your honorable body will re-
;jort to the Council at an carly date a
proper ordinance permitting it to use
the conduits and manhoies Of the Vlr-
.inia Railway and Development Com
Dany, situated in the underground
district prescribed in the ordinance of
September 10. 1895, in so far as the use OF
same may be necessary and practicable,
hot ONT
soeyer it may be necessary, that your
petitioner may be permitted to construct
underground conduits within the pre-
scribed underground district and to run
its cables and wires therein, under and
GlonE the said streets and alleys or the
city of Richmond for the furnishing and
supplying of electrics light. and power,
upon the same or similar conditions, pro
visions and limitations as set forth in the
said ordinance OF September 10, 1885, e1-
cent as modified in the ordinance OF jan
nary II, 1895. granting similar privileges
10 the Southern Electric Company, and
other like ordinances
The franchise of the Richmond Tele-
Dhone Company was also laid over until
the 18th for discussion.
LINE ACROSS THE RIVER.
An ordinance was received from the
w. B. Bradley Construction Company,
asking the right to construct, maintain
and operate an electric transmission line
across James River within the corporate
limits of the city of Richmond, at the
foot of Ninth Street and thence across
to the city of Manchester. This ordi-
nance will also be discussed at the meet
ing on next Tuesday.
Mr.. Rahcn said that as there was a
disposition to place wires underground.
a. In toll
in reference to having tho telegraph
wires go underground. Members Of the
committee and the City Engineer felt
that it would be a qeustion Of a short
time comparatively, before all the wires
sn the city would be underground.
MIR. mills called attention to the drip
pnigs of oil and dirt from the viaducts
of the Seaboar6 AIR Line and the Ches-
apeake and Ohio, crossing Cary, Main,
Broad and other streets, and asked that
the City Engineer be requested to look
into this matter. with the view of re-
auiring something to be done to abate
the alleged nuisance He also moved that
the extension of tracks on Union Street,
as requested by the Cudally Company.
be granted. Mr.. King stated that he had
not been able to ''sct together with his
colleagues on that question. and pre-
ferred that the tracks be extended on the
opposite side OF the street. The question
was referred to the City Engineer.
A STREET EXTENSION.
Mr. Pollock asked that the status of
the opening OF Buchanan Street to the
corporate limits be reported at the next
meeting.
The resolution from the Board of Al
dermen. requiring the Chestnut Hill line
TO complete the rehabilitation of its
tracks, was referred to the koad Com
,rittee and the City Engineer.
The petition for a map of the streets
of the city for the use of the superin-
tenaent OF the Street Cleaning Depart
ment was referred 10 The City Engineer
with the request that he appear before
the Health Committee in reference to the
same.
Those present were Messrs. Allen
Jsahen. Burton. Curtis. Glenn. Gibson
King, Mills, Afosby. Peters. Pollock and
Whittet.