The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-07
Officials of Wire Companies
and Linemen Frankly Ad-
nit that Joint Pole Agree
ment Is Dangerous One.
A CONSTANT MENACE
TO PEOPLE OF CITY.
Whole Sections of City Are
Sometimes Endangered by
Contacts of Primary and
Secondary Wires.


That the overhead wiring system In
this city is SO dangerous that at times
whole sections of the city are menaced
develops from an investigation a. TO
the situation here. to which attention
was publicly called when Ora Rau,
company was electrocuted on wednes-
day when he merely touched brass
socket of an electric light In the base
ment of Fairview residence
So dangerous in fact 10 the system
that the wire companies will again
urge the board Of public works TO leg
islate in some way SO that this dam
gerous condition will be eliminated.
The creation of the office of city over
head wire inspector. also the passage
of an ordinance which will give such
an officer the authority to enforce his
orders, has been suggested. Now that
the general public has an insight into
the situation. 1t Is the belief OF the
wire companies that the city oflcials
will act in response to the demand.
Call System Dangerous.
Linemen and oficers of the wire
companies who have been cognixant
with the situation frankly admitted.
when interviewed. that conditions
were very dangerous.
They stated that the overhead sys-
tenn was rotten" While they could
not say the system here. Ras- s-thes sssQee&r
in the United States they sxt6 tS1f
there were only few cities that had Z
worse system.
The reason the overhead wire sys-
tenn Is SO dangerous IL that in order to
reduce the number of poles on the
streets Of the city. the wire companies
entered into an agreement with the
ago, in which it was agreed that the
number of poles should be reduced by
each company using the same poles
except In those cases where 1t was
manifestly impracticable In this agree
ment between the wire companies Ger
tain restrictions in the mutual use Of
the poles were Incorporated, but the
linemen and the managements OF some
of the companies declare they have
not been observed, and because Of this
fact, to large extent the three fatal
accidents since March. 1910. are due.
For instance 1t was agreed that the
telephone wires should be from ive to
six feet distant from all electric light
wires on all poles, but in great many
Instances and In all parts OF the city.
the clearance distance between the
high voltage wires and the phone
wires is only two or three feet. and In
some instances only few inches.
Careless Insulating.
Carelessness in insulating high volt
age wires, as well as the manner In
which they were attached to the arms
of poles. adds to the danger OF the
public as well as making the lineman's
job most hazardous. All primary
wires are supposed to be attached to
the arms of poles by the use of red
glass insulators, which denote danger.
The green insulator denotes low volt
age. One of the managements de-
clared that linemen when out repair.
ing high voltage lines, and upon COM
ing to a broken red insulator. would
replace it with a green one. In case
there were no red insulators In tho
wagon. A trip to the office would
thus be saved, but linemen who after.
see green insulators where there
should be red ones would be exposed
to great danger.
In recommending the appointment
of city overhead wire inspector. the
managements of the wire companies
say such an official would be COM
PEELED to inspect the wiring OF the en-
tire city and when he ordered some
change made, have the authority to
carry it out. In order that his orders
would be effective the manager of
local wire company says the official
should have the power to institute
prosecution and wherever a company
/ is found guilty that q minimum fine
of no less than $3.50 be assessed. and
each violation 50 reported by the In
spector constitute a separate and dis
! tinct offense The manager of the
company making this recommendation
would not permit his name to be used
just at this time.
Always Riskins Lives.
Linemen declare that every time
They climb pole IN this city they are
taking their lives In their hands. There
sfs not a trouble shooter" but who
lean tell OF some narrow escape in
which he has figured, sometimes be-
ing knocked off the pole and rendered
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