Is there any reliable method of laying Electric Light wires underground? is a question that the writer has been frequently asked lately. For the benefit of all, and being only a looker-on, I must state that this, is not an easy question to answer. A reli. able and economical system, it would seem from the report of the Committee of the National Electric Light Association on underground conduits and wires, is yet to be devised. The report of the Committee on this subject, which was read at the Convention in Buffalo last February gives 'a general description of the various system in-use in the U.S, and England, and concludes with the following interesting observation After a careful and extensive examination of neatly all underground work i country the fact has been developed with very few exceptions, the system and plans heretofore adopted have proved a failure; in some cases caused by improper materials, insufficient insulation, and in many cases carelessness in laying the conduits or drawing in the cable. High-tension currents can be carried in conduits successfully if the conduits are properly built and good insulation is used, but it is absolutely" necessary that all work and materials should be first-class, no halfway business or effort to scrimp and save expense by poor construction or using poorly insulated cables."
'A serious trouble in underground work has been caused by drawing in the call This is avery important part of the business and should only be entrusted to reliable and experienced men, as the least injury to the insulation, while it is: being placed in the duct, will surely develop and cause trouble, and many of the burn-outs have been caused in this way. No matter how good the insulation may be, if it is cut or injured while passing into the duct, you can depend upon it that this special place ill gi i din that case ity to obey one Some substance may be used for the conduit that will withstand the action of gases, soil, etc, not desirable, as under certain conditions and places it will be destroyed in a few months; wooden conduits soon decay, besides absorbing large quantity of moisture interfering with the insulation; and cement alone cannot be relied upon. Tt would seem that glazed terra cotta or substance, set in concrete, is the most reliable, and with a cable first insulated with not less than inch of pure rubber, this covered with a heavy braid well insulated, over this a covering of lead, over this a heary substantial braid, saturated with good compound, will give satisfactory results, trid can be' usol wucoomfally with high tension currents without being troubled with burn-outs or grounds. But this entails a large outlay for conduits and cables. There is one feature of the business upon which all examinations and reports agree, that is, that the underground plan has been ive a fair comparison of the cost of ing aerial and underground cir-cults, but it is conceded that the expense of maintaining underground cables is far greater than xerial, algo that the durability of conduits and cables in many cases is mero conjecture, aa they have not been used long enough to test their ability to stand the action of gases, acids, and various other requirements, which' can only be determined after sufficient time has elapsed.
In cities of less than 200,000 inhabitants, compelling companies to place their wires underground will practically prohibit the use of electricity for light, and leave the inhabitants of those cities to meander through the streets, guided by the sickly rays of the kerosene lamp or the feeble flute ter of the gas burner, as no electric lighting company could afford the expense. that this would involve, unless it could obtain double the prices now paid for lights.
Tas expense of conduutaand undergioand cables ix sv hewy that they can only adopted in a few of the larger cities thickly s.tt'e'y and then the electric lighting companies adop: ing them must be puld higher prices for service or eventually the company will lo bankrupt from the expense and loss astaied, therefore the tax-payer it avy city, wh" demands that wiross sal be placed underground, wants to realise the fact that this move' means iveressing the cost of light and higher taxes 10 pay for the same. From data obtained it is evident that nearly all the cities could be served with aerial lines for the high-tension current in a more acceptable manner and at a less expense than with underground conduits, and they could be arranged us to be perfectly secure and not in avy way endanger the public or mar the general appearance of the streets, 13th June.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.