Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-12-24
aItlh canpsag Vas Greatest
slles Around Virginia Capital.
:syHl DAYS TO REPAIR DAMAGE
sTsleeraph and Telephone Companies
Nave Pvt Every Available Repair
nsn 10 Work on Llnss-Firs Alarm
Services Crippled.
(By Associated Press.)

(By Associated Press)
3 RICHMOND, VA. Dec. 23.-With
the heavy snow storm Of yesterday
passing away and the sun On duty
again today the heads Of companies
handling electricity In any OF It's
many commercial usages have had
time to loek around and take account
Of injuries to wires and business as
. result Of the snow which broke
down wires all over Richmond and
vicinity yesterday.
The Passenger and Power Compa'
ny here with lighting and, power
wires In this city. Manchester and
Petersburg, seems to have suffered
less than any others from the storm
- UP to noon today not one wire OF
any kind was down from that cause.
At 8 O'Clock this morning trolley
wire at Robinson and Broad streets
was broken by trolley poles flying
Oh. About O'Clock yesterday even.
ang an lakewood car got out Of order
In East Main street and delayed
travel for a few minutes. Beyond
these two slight accidents there was
no delay in travel for the cars. Cur
rent in the light wires was ordered
cut on last night by Superintendent
Thompson. city electrician, acting
under precautionary orders from
Mayor Richardson. These orders
were given because Western Union
and Postal Telegraph Companies
wires As well a. those Of the Bell
Telephone and the city police tele-
phone and IRE alarm were Gown and
breaking all over the city and 1t was
feared that these would come In con-
tact with light wires and cause death
Or damage. The current on the troll
ley wires. much heavier than that
Of the lighting wires, was not cut on
because the cars had to be operated
taking people to and from their
homes At this busy season of the
year.
Fire Alarm Crippled.
City Electrician Thompson said
this morning that while he hoped to
have the IRE alarm system and the
police telephone and call system
working in day or two 1t woul1
take several months to completely
restore the damages wrought by the
storm. The entire force Of city cleo
tricians ID at work today repairing
the damages. As all the city wires
ars copper and this makes them
valuable many wires. Mr.. Thompson
reports, have been taken away BY
persons and this will cause further
delay In repairing the service. All
boxeJ will have to be connected and
tested and this Is = dig job as the
boxes are located In various parts OF
tAs city.
Telegraph Company Suffers.
The Western Union seems to have
bcen' the heaviest sufferers from the
snow rs the loop" which connects
Richmpud with the outside world.
directly North and South. went down
yesterday and will probably be not
restored until late this afternoon.
Wires Of this company were bro
ken down throughout the city and
the call box system was practically
out Of business as was and Is the
leased wire system for brokers' Of
Aees. Ten poles Of this company
On the Southern railway south Of Bon
Az are down this morning. Five
pbies between Csnal and Main street.
On the Petersburg wires, ~ well a.
ooe pole Ut Twentieth and Dock
strsets carrying the Newport News
ed West Point wires are down.
Messages to these places are sent BY
inlirect routes.
Four big gangs Of wiremen are At
wo-k today repairing the damages Of
the storm and of1c!als Of the Western
Uuios sag that they expect to have
IN repairs made BY tomorrow. In
ADDITION to the four gangs working
= aaA around the city. the company
- several others working in various
sections Of the State. north and south
g here. and consolidation between
nos1moad and washington and the
4 kA-e4-0 n