The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-27
Finally Agrees to Put All Telc-
graph Wires in Underground
Conduits.
COURT WILL DROP SUI
City Wins Big Victory, and Com
pany Must Pay All Cost
Of Litigation.

pany to comply with city ordinances
governing tho use OF the streets, II
ratified by both parties to the confer
ence the pending litigation now bcror,
the Supreme Court OF the United Statos
will ho dismissed, and all tho costs
VIII be paid by the telegraph com
pany. The unsightly line of poles and
wires on Broad Street Will be removed
Extended conferences were held on
tuesday and again yesterday In the
Office Of the City Attorney. City At
tornoy Pollard, Assistant City Attor-
ney Anderson, City Electrician Thomp-
son and City Engineer Boiling repre-
scented tho city. The Western Union
was represented by Judge ~. l.. Holla-
day, OF this city, and by Electrical En-
gineer Beck, OF New York.
Mr.. Book was sent here by the West
crn Union some weeks ago to look over
tho ground and confer with the au-
thorities. Tho settlement is in tho
main In compliance with his recon-
mcndations.
In Telephone Conduits.
Briefly. Mr.. Beck proposes to com
ply with the underground %rdinance.
both as to through lines and cull-bcn
ines inc wires to be placed in the
OF the Southern Bell Tele-
graph and Telephone ompany thus
49, 'S'ii6 any great expense DndEthc
digging up of the streets. Tho main
line of wires of the western Union
which now comes into the city from
me North along tho right of way OF
the Richmond, Fredericksburg and po-
tomac Railroud. to Broad Street, thence
along Broad Street by clba station.
directly down Broad TO Ninth. viii be
removed. and will follow tho right OF
way OF the S%eaboard Air Line from
Acca station. down the valley or
Bacon's Quarter Branch to Sixteenth
and Broad Streets. where thcy viii
enter conduits of the Boil mpan
and continue to the new Travellers
Buiiding. the upper floors OF which
nave been leased as operating and ex.
change rooms for tho Western Union
Telesraph Company.
similarly going out in other d,rc.-
lions, tho wires Will be carried from
me headquarters In the Travelcrs'
Building beyond the confines or no
underground district before bei,r
on poles. Call wires Will come
under the same regulations as tele-
phone wires. They Will he carried in
conduits to tho block In Which the CALI
ncli is located, thence. like
wires. they Will be carried overhead
from the nearest distributing pole.
NIT Beck returned to New York last
~ ray DeloEe OllClulS or Tho COM
pany the terms of the compromise set.
Element agreed upon. AS soon MS Ills
Duo prints and plans are perfected.
they VIII be submitted to the Council
committee on Streets for approval on
pehaif OF the city. City Attorney Pol
lard said that unless some extraord,-
concessions were asked. action ~,
tnc Councu would not he necessary at
ms time. Tho telegraph is
81 v - In IN E11 - - q. :
plans In accordance with the general
ordinances OF the city governing elec-
trio wires and the regulations as 10
underground conduits. II the Mans
are approved and the construction hc-
In good faith. Mr.. Pollard said.
he would then feel authorized in MOI
ing the supreme court OF the United
states In dismissing the pendinr lIti-
Eat'on AT the cost of the Western
onion, a motion to which Judge Holla-
day VIII consent for the company.
II had been anticipated, had tho sniff
taken It's course. that n final decision
would have been rendered by the SUI
preme Court In November, or certain
some time during next winter. nh
eiegraph lost before Judge
.iotf In the Circuit Court. and Mr.. Pol
iard a appeared confident that the
city would also win on apneal ~ 10
diIlIlpdlAIR N an 0dYGrSH
which might be used against
In other cities. the company decided
10 come In and bear the cost of com
plying with city ordinances.
Inc richmond regulations in regard
70 pores ana onduit are regarded as
drastic, and the co1nnany
prefer not to have such n pre-
ccdent against 1T from the highest
court of tho land. even though the
of Judge Gofr In the c,rcTit
Court fully upholds tho city's point
OF View. pr. h
Cne clause to which the company oh
Iccted. as working a hardship, is the
requirement of the city that when
over condufts arc laid in the streets
shali DO constructed 80 per cent.
,hrser than the needs of the company
pGilaihs them. and that other compa-
mes may enter such condufts with
thcir wires. on payment of a rental 10
De tNed. If necessary. by arbitration.
Except where there has been unusual
SroWtn, therefore. the conduits OF the
pei Telephone Company are large
enough TO accommodate the Western
ohion wires, and as the two compa.
arc close together In their own.
n control. nc difficulty is en-
pec.ed IN adjusting the charges be-
'"een them. Very little now conduit
work VIII HAYS 10 be lone to carry out
me plans proposed by Mr.. Beck.
The action is regarded as n oomn,oto
victory for the city's underground Or
ainancc and not only clears Rroad
'tiSat OF an overhead construction save
troiiey wires. but gives the sanction
or the courts to any reasonable exien-
sion which the city may mako from
.ime TO time In the underground dis
niready It hns been proposed to grad
ua.iy extend the lines of the under
s,uuna district to include lower Main
,nass us or fourteenth, md the bus
- LES section OF Hull Street. In South
which is now rowded win
unsslshtly and badly located poles ma
wires The litigation has been in nro-
sress lor sevral years. and while n
compete estimate has not yet been