The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-04-02
Injunction Proceedings
Rival Electric Light Companies
Line up Before Judge New
comb on Monday.
DECISION WITHHELD.

Grant Herring and 7. ]. Wander
slice defended the interests of the
Irondale Electric Light. Heat &
Power Company at the hearing of
the injunction served on them by
the American Electric Light &
Power Company, in which they
asked for a decree establishing the
respective rights Of the two COM
panies "and fixing and determining
the manner in which the wires and
lines of the defendant company may
cross over or below the lines of the
plaintiff or through the space al
ready occupied by the plaintiff or
through any ajacent space which
may be necessary to the plaintiff
for the future growth Of their busi-
ness"
Fred Ikeler and A. w. Duy
represented the plaintiff company.
Judge Newcomb of the Lacka-
wanna county courts especially
presided with associates Fox and
Krickbaum.
The immediate nearness of the
rival companies, lines appears to
have caused all the trouble. The
American Electric Light Company
claims that the lines Of the other
company, in order to insure safety,
should clear their lines by at least
five feet. The defendant company
insists that twenty-five inch clear
ance, horizontally, is all that is
necessary and that there will be
perfect safety at that distance.
The plaintiffs called as witnesses
M. J. Tracy and Warren Webb,
both employees of the company and
Eugene F. McCabe, manager of
the Electric Light Company at
Lewistown, George M. West, ST.
perintendent of the Danville Elec-
trio Company, and Il. F. Coagland,
superintendent of the Carbondale
Elec ric light Company. The first
named witness described the ex-
treme closeness of the wires at the
corner of Iron and Main streets.
Mr.. Herring, however, stated that
the condition at the point referred
to by witness was only temporary.
and that it was the purpose to have
the wires clear the plaintiff wires
by twenty-five inches. AS prac-
teal lineman the witness gave it as
his opinion that the distance sepa-
rating the two companies lines
should be five feet.
The testimony of +. F. McCabe
was to the effect that if the wires
of the one company came in contact
with the low tension wires of the
other company trouble of a serious
nature would result. Telephone
companies he said have trouble at
five feet and he didn't see why cleo
trio light companies wouldn't have
trouble also. On cross examination
he said that for mechanical reasons
he would have them three feet
apart where they run horizontally.
A twenty-five inch clearance he
considered would interfere with the
practical operation Of the plant.
Geo. M. West and 7. F. Coag-
land substantiated the testimony oi
Mr.. McCabe.
For the defendant company, II.
M. Rust, an electrical engineer ol
Wilkes Barre, was called. He said
that if the lines are IL or IS
inches apart there could be nc
practical interference. Aclearance
Of 22 inches vertically and 2 inches
horizontally, he said would not
cause any appreciable effect, The
cross examination brought from the
witness an admission that if the
wires were ever less than ? inches
there would be trouble, and also
that there was danger from sagging
wires.
w. O. Dewitt, superintendent O
the Irondale Company, when called
to the stand said that the condition
at Iron and Main streets was caused
by the non arrival of poles and tina
new and higher poles would be puI
up.
DR.. w. M. Reber, president o
the new company, testified that h(