Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-14
CITY ELECTRICIANS REPORT
Contains Several Recommendations for I'm
provement Of Public Service.
SUGGESTS STREET LIGHTING DEPARTMENT
MIR. Schurig Makes UnfavOrable Com
ment on Present Practice of Per-
mittinE CounciImen tn Select
Locations for Lights.

The annual report Of City Electrician Ed
ward F. schurig, which has Just been COM
pleted, sums up at length the improvements
made during the last year and the work OF
the department, and includes many impor-
tant recommendations. Chief among them
is the placing the wires of the fire and po-
lice alarm system under ground and greatly
improving the apparatus in other ways,
placing the distribution Of street lights un-
der the control OF a single city authority
and the installation OF electric elevators
in the city hall at a cost of from $4,000 20
SIC, ,OO0 thereby effecting a saving Of $1,26O
a year in wages and making eficient service
possible.
Concerning the distribution Of street
lighting the report says:
On March II a resolution was passed by
the honorable city council directing me 10
gasoline and arc lamps and report upon a
plan for the Encouragement OF our street
lamps. This matter was thoroughly IN
the subject submitted to the city council,
which report, fully concurred In oy ms
honor, the mayor, and which was not ob-
iected to by the members of the council,
considered from practical and economical
standpoint, was placed on file for no other
reason than II curtailed the ancient pre-
rogative OF some of the members of the
council to place lamps where they thought
they. would do the most good.
should prevail I'm this age of progress,
where concentration and systematic ar
rangement predominate in all branches Of
municipal lighting will be placed under one
responsible head, some day, who shall make
II his duty to obtain as much light and as
good service for as little money as possible
and place the lamps where they Will give
the best results.
As to Burying Wires.
With reference to the buryIng of the
wires of the New Omaha Thomson Houston
Electric Light company In the business dis
| trict 1t is stated that the work has beer
completed. The territory is bounded b.
Eighth, Eighteenth and Howard streets and
Capitol avenue. 1t is probable that the ar
lights in this district will be placed on ten
foot arms, jutting out from thirty-foo
poles located at street intersections, in
stead Of being swung overhead In the cen
| ter OF the crossing as at present. With re
lation to this the report says:
The ordinance requiring the placint
/ under ground of wires does not reQuir
| underground service connection, but allow
| overhead distribution, and maintenance o
he objectionable features, and not reliev
us very materially In the case of fire; hre
men having yet to contend with impedi
/ took It upon myself to persuade tn
| electric light company to waive that par
| of the ordinance, and build the syster
under ground entirely.
AS to placing the hre and police alarr
circuit under ground. down town. this
urged as OF the utmost importance. o
account Of placing under ground the wire
Of the electric light company, the only sup
ports remaining for the wires will be re
moved from the streets and alleys. Som
of the wires are now under ground, usin
some Of the equipment OF the Nebrask
Telephone company. This is unsatis
factory and incomplete, however.
cheap conduit system in connection wit
the conduits OF the telephone company
recommended for the present. 1t will COT
about $4,000. Later, however, systeI
of permanent subways with additionI
service boxes and thorough equpmer
should be put in at cost Of $4,000.