The Evening Times

AGAINST OVERHEAD WIRES
A Bill to Abolish Them to Be Introduced in Congress.
Senator McMillan in Favor of the Plan-The Proposition Contemplated by the District Commissioners for Several Years-The Present Conduit System and Its Growth

Congress during the present session will be called upon to consider a bill providing that all telegraph, telephone, and other wires now strung on poles within the city of Washington be placed underground.
Such a bill, it is said, will be introduced in the near future by Mr. McMillan, Chairman of the Senate District Committee. The Senator has expressed himself in favor of the measure.

For nearly twelve years the authorities of the District have had in view the necessity of forcing the companies controlling the overhead wires in Washington to place them under the ground, but thus far have made but little progress. However, at present conditions look quite favorable toward the desired end and there is but little doubt that in a very few months the city will be rid of unsightly poles and wires and that a splendid underground system of wiring will result.

The Commissioners have a plan in view regarding the construction of the underground conduits, which if Senator McMillan's bill is passed, will undoubtedly be followed.

On July 1, 1899, the two electrical companies of the District, namely, the United States Electric Lighting Company, and the Potomac Electric Power Company, had, respectively, 66.80 and 64.98 miles of wire strung overhead on 734 and 469 poles made of wood and iron, and in addition there were 431 miles of wire used by the United States.

Rapid progress has been made of recent years toward perfecting the conduit system of the District, and many miles of conduit are being laid each succeeding year.

In 1893, in the annual report of the Engineer Department, was the following statement:
"Conduits in Washington: United States Government, 2.74 miles; District Government, 4.60 miles; United States Electric Lighting Company, 4 miles; Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, 5.80 miles; Western Union Telegraph Company, .60 miles; Postal Telegraph Cable Company, 2.33 miles. Total, 20.07 miles."

It is interesting to note by the following report of the same department for the year ended June 30, 1899, the great increase in the number of miles of conduit and the various companies controlling these systems:

The United States Electric Lighting Company had in use July 1, 1899, 241.842 feet of conduit; the Potomac Electric Power Company, 57.924 feet; the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, 79.731 feet; the United States Government, 95 feet; the District of Columbia, 195 feet; the Anacostia and Potomac Railroad Company, 245 feet, the Capital Traction Company, 48.218 feet; the Metropolitan Railroad Company, 32,936 feet, and the City and Suburban Railroad Company, 42.010 feet. There were thirty-one conduits on July 1 of last year, the total number of feet in which amounted to 519,949, or over 98 miles.

During the year ended July 1, 1899, in the District of Columbia many conduits were laid, more than in any one year previous. The following is a statement from the report of the Department of Engineers of the District regarding the amount of conduit laid during the year ended June 30, 1899, by the various companies.

The United States Electric Lighting Company laid during the year, 8,320 feet of conduit, the Potomac Electrical Company 1.957 feet, the United States Government, 95 feet; the District of Columbia, 195 feet; the Anacostia and Potomac Railroad Company, 245 feet; the Metropolitan Railroad Company, 1.559 feet, and the City and Suburban Railroad Company, 42,010 feet.