The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-23

.-s ----.--- #. #
however,, that the fnll would have been
sufficient Al \ HI 8s
,Electrician's Views.
Superb ,tendent OF Ere Alarm and City
11lectrici an William II. Thompson was
then ca led. ISL
He sal Ia that he was not on the scene
}at tho ! lne OF tho accident. He heard
OF 1t In . he morning and started out with
n linesni an, photographer, linesman Of
find the iseat OF the trouble He told OF
how lie I found four wires. two Of them
going toi a Western Union clock. at the
scene Off the disaster. He displayed the
wires, which he had brought with him.
They wer badly cllarred. The wires
were on, ervico blocks, and the screws
were 80 DOSE that a wind would lave
shaken them. He also displayed the
scantllng. scared and blackcned, on
which tho wires had fallen.
He .desci ibed the contact OF the Western
Union win o with the Passenger and
Power win D. on pole near the Hub
clothing ST bro. The smaller wire. which
conducted the current to the Journal
building, h ad come into contact with a
main, hisf| potential wire. from which
1t had gtI tilered Its terrific power. He
said that Euhe whole roof Of the journal
building, vuhichs3is OF tin. had probably
become sur charged with electricity when
the wire h .oke. "a The injury to the hand
might have been caused by clutching the
wire when he fell. 81 81 So
He was interrupted and q sked !, II the
Passenger land Power Company was not
gradually ,utting Its wires underground.
o1nl1 "a ca a Eu,ct, fe+ l,f, en-
but that til Western Union Is not doing
So Mr.. Pa lard also put in question
as to wheel her the IS Western Union has
not been hid Is fighting the city ortii-
nance to tsHo. all electric wires placed
underground by an injunction In court.
Witness til enl Went on to say that II the
wires had been properly maintained the
accident would never have happened
IN Violation Of Ordinance.
.'yyhat vi ;es are ma, sii 81;
asked DR.. Ia ylor. Ri ,sss;., I, u; s3Sgi
THE Posi- al the Traction Company,
the Pnssengl and Power Company and
the Western Union Company. and all;
ordinance bun: the Western Union
Which do You place the blame on2s
asked the 81 Lme interrogat or q *
The Wes4 :ern Union runs this wire
Into the oa'rnal building; 1t was tho
last to come, ;on the field, and 1t did SO
In violation sol the law,
Are other accompanies doing so r.
Yes, but they are not extending their!
systems is llsg
LII you we 70 the Jury. whom would
you blame 2" 35ftsZSs - i5;s i72s$
:..sThe Westl ,rn Union, was the reply.
Then the witness was asked about
the Passenger and Power Company aid
II he would confine the blame to the
Western Union. He made answer that
IL the city hal | wires CROSSED they would
beataken care OF by the city.
4 ri He was tn en- asked directly, II he
though the Pa ssenger & Power Company
b1ameable. II Is reply was that the o3:-
$dinance had l'een pending twelve years;
that 4 IT. had l1een continually amended;
that the PASS ger and Power Company
was In the ha nds Of the receivers !; that
4 1t was badly mixed up, and that, is
@contiuually$pl9c cling It's wires underground.
Witness then went on to outline the dis
#trict where Y tn e{ wires should be under-
ground, sayings that they should all be UNI
derground exec upt the naked trolley wire,
which had " bee n excepted. Asked what
companies are complying with the ordi-
nance he SAT-. the Virginia railway.
Company. the Southern Bell Telephone
Company. the tcIty system and the Pas
Sc niger and Potper Company. The West
ern Union had refused compliance. The
Postal had reAus once. but after the
matter had BID en- threshed out i in the
courts, It had ended with compliance.
DR.. Taylor a.}ked II the Passenger and
Power Compans were involved by hav-
ing its wires ah ove ground. Witness tan-
swered aft1rmaa lively. NJ
# Is Dding It's Best.
IA n n Ikinrr
If the citys prai :tical efforts to have the
wires placed i'm, foreground had not been
mainly in the Mast two or three years.
Witness agreed. md then aptain Guigon
continpeds by ash Ing II It were not true
that the PassenIs er and Power Company
Is complying with the ordinance as, rapid
~ as possible. stssl 33 555i
1.-THE company is doing very WE'LL
commented Mr.. Thompson.
isn't It reasa nable to suppose that
1T would work a. hardship to have the
thing done all ut, once2" queried Captain
lGuigon. Witness agreed that IT. would
especially to TIRE, big business houses,
He also said th,rt tho company Is doing
very we'll. # "a
4 q. n Pace. 70 reman Of limo conAruc-
ton, was then Examined. and his testl-}
m1onys was in cor; toboration of the preced-
Ing. He said II hat there was two or
three feet sag o the telegraph wire on
the telephone wiHe and that ne ha mad cut
the wires on the . building. s@fs5
The testimony a. Mr.. Lecky, fire COM
missioner, was lnl ew!se OF the same orr
der. He said thpIt he had made q study
OF Insulation ands OF the maintenance Of
wires In congesteal districts where It ef--$s
fects property AID life His Testimony
showed that these is greG4 danger n
overhead wires, Hking the baltimore IRE
as main illust'ha<on. s,
J0,,v, f0r1 nh uyA
ness called, did Not appear at all during
the evening. and the jury Sad journed until
o'clock this afta,rnoon. when DunfordS
Will be examined, .,Js MI s
n MAKES STATEMENT I.
lid pe 81 olladaN Explains Position