The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1904-08-05
THE LIGHTS THAT FAILED.
ARC LIGHT CURRENT GROUNDED
BY CONTACT WITH SHADE
TREES.
City Authorities Will not Permit
Trimming of Trees. A Case Of
"Stand Pat and, no Light.

llluIulUS VI llCCSs n O0loV VI
"Stand Pat and, no Light.
The electric street lamps in Palat-
ka have .-4ot burned since Monday
might.
They also skipped illumination on
Saturday and Sunday nights.
The reasons given for this, accord
ing to the company is, that the cur
rent has been grounded by contact
with the trees; that owing to the
late heavy rains tree branches have
become heavy and have rubbed the
insulation off the wire, exposing the
copper to the tree branches and thus
grounding the current. The compa-
ny wanted to remedy this by trim
ming the tree branches, which it
claims have added a years growth
since last being trimmed. On Mon
day the company set two men to
work trimming trees; these men
were compelled to desist by order of
the chief of police, who had instruc-
tions from Mayor Nickers to enforce
the ordinance prohibiting the muti-
lation of shade trees.
Should the company tnrn on Its
current now the trees would be killed
at such points where the insulation
has been rubbed off the wire, and
there would be no lights for the rea-
son that at those points the current
is grounded.
AS a body the council has taken
mo action but influential members
say that the time has arrived when
public sentiment will not sustain
further mutilatiOn of shade trees
and that an enforcement of the ordi-
nance for their protection must be
insisted upon,
At the meeting of the council on
Tuesday night the following commu-
nicatiun was received from the light
ing company:
Palatka, Fla, Aug. 2, 1904.
| Honorable President aud Members
of the City Council, Palatka, Fla,
| Gentlemen:-
Electric light companies
usually have more or less trouble
with their street wires coming In
contact with substances which they
should not touch when the current
is on,
frees give more trouble than any
thing else, especially during wet
weather. These facts being well
known, electric companies are given
the right by the town in which they
operate, through the town council
to remove unnecessary obstructions
We have been, and are having ou'
usual amount of trouble, especially
since the rainy season has set in, anC
the trees through which our wires
run have made one more years
growth. 1t is our object and desire
to endeavor to give you us good ser
vice as possible. Our machinery Is
in good working order. We canno
give satisfactory service unless VIZ
are allowed to remove branches o.
small limbs which rest upon ou
wires.
We had much trouble during thu
last week in July which caused u
quite IA pecuniary loss, solely because
lhere were so many limbs touching
our wires.
Yesterday shortly after we put tw'
men to work on our lines, they wer'
approached by member of TIN
IDoiice force and informed that the,
must discontinue clearing the line
by cutting limbs, or they would b.
arrested.
Chief Hagan very kindly advised
our superintendent this morning tina
his honor, the mayor, had instructed
him to arrest our men if they con
tinue their work. 1t is needless fo
me to write that the men have bee
told to obey the chiefs instructions
The parties controlling this compan
are law abiding citizens, aud do no
want the Gas Company looked upo
as law breakers.
The writer read in one of the Pa
latka papers several years ago, tina
Mr.. Nj. j. Murphy, doing business o
Lemon street, had complained to tn
city council about this company hay
ING cut a part of one or more palmet
to trees in front of his place of bus
mess, Later we also read that tn