Evening star., 1938-08-28
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

IN Az ~. TO- 1885, lis prohib-
ouiy AL INC tied after Septem-
E,.c+,;. w;r..p Der IS and Con-
gress has indicated
its purpose to bury all electric wires at
its next session. Every new system Of
overhead wires authorized by the Com
missioners in the period allowed them In
which to consider and report the best
general plan for such burial adds rein
forcements to the ranks of opponents
Of the abolition Of overhead wires and
discredits in . measure the plans OF an
interment to be proposed by the Com
missioners. For 1t Is not to be expected
that these officials would make use Of
the brief period before September IS,
granted to enable existing lines to main
tain themselves In condition to do pub
lie service, for the purpose Of authoriz-
ing . new system of lines and Its ex-
pensive erection, II they really believed
that Congress. upon information fur
nished by them. was about to put all
these wires under ground.
Undoubtedly the construction Of elec-
trio railway wires would be followed by a
most vigorous resistance to their subse-
quent burial and perhaps the whole plan
of abolishing the overhead wires might
thereby be defeated. 1t would be graft
flying. as suggested, to exhibit to the
convention of railway representatives
which meets in this city on the first of
October an electric road. though the
railroad men are doubtless acquainted
with the overhead system, as they rep
resent. in part. the cities in which that
system is said to have been tried and
and discarded. But . more creditable
and striking exhibit to the world at
large would be that Of a city in which
there is no swerving from the demand
that the overhead wires must 60 and
whose legislature adheres to its wise de-
cision upon this point for several months
in succession and does not permits its
will to be defeated by indirection. II
the local railroads viii substitute grooved
rail for the present denominations. run
more and better cars and experiment
with some improved motor which does
not involve the ornamentation OF the
streets with gallows-shaped poles and
dangerous wires they willemake the dis
play to the convention which will be
most satisfactory to the city"
Into what new conditions Is the
earth entering this year, asks The Star
of August q, 1885, why
1iemen's this series Of extraordinary
~ w.r buffetings by the elements?
The winds and the clouds
seem to have formed . mischievous con-
spiracy to pound the earth into 4 state
of subjection. The destructive January
blizzard froze and devastated the West.
The memorable March blizzard espe-
cially the North and East. The August
cyclone or tornado has wrought its
greatest havoc in the South. Each has
been of unusual severity and destruc-
tiveness, and in q great measure unex-
pected. The destroying elements have
come and passed and left men to wonder
and guess and wisely explain the cause
of the disaster. like ants whose hill has
been destroyed by the hoof Of a rapidly
passing horse. These are strange days
upon which the world has entered and
exceedingly trying to the Weather Bu-
reau. If the recent winds had postponed
their appearance until . later season
when they could be reinforced by snow
clouds instead of rain clouds the terrible
destruction of the January blizzard
would have been repeated. In view Of
this fact and of the possibility that the
'88 campaign Of the winds and clouds
against the world may be rounded out
by fourth assault in the approaching
winter season, the wise man will make
necessary preparations"