The Great Wire War: How Seattle’s Electric Giants Tried to Buy Their Way Out of the Underground

The unexpected happened again at the meeting of city council last night. A large crowd, including gamblers interested in the games recently closed, saloon keepers disturbed by the possible enforcement of the 1 o'clock closing ordinance, and church people who wanted all saloons closed on Sunday, made up the bulk of the audience.

The councilmen were expected to do much, therefore they decided to do nothing with these troublesome matters. As a diversion, they tumbled into a discussion of underground conduits for electric wires.

The question was brought up by E. C. Kilbourne, president of the Union Electric company, who was accorded the use of the floor for a few minutes. Mr. Kilbourne stated that the placing of all of his power wires underground would be ruinous. He said to take down the wires that are now strung in the district prescribed in the ordinance, from Yesler way to Pike and along First and Second avenues to Pike, and along Third, from Pike to Main, would mean a loss of at least $100,000 to his company, as the greater part of the apparatus could not be sold even for junk. That to install a conduit system would cost his company fully $250,000 all told which, considering the amount of business being done and the financial status of the company, would mean simply ruin.

He stated that his company has been in business for a number of years, and had spent a great deal of money in improvements, besides paying out a large sum each month in salaries. The company was perfectly willing, he said, to conform to the wishes of the city, but to do so successfully would require time.

Mr. Kilbourne further suggested that the city should reimburse his company for any and all wires and poles taken down.

The Consumers' Electric company was represented by W. J. Grambe, who also made a speech and said that the ordinance to bury the wires within a specified time would simply drive his concern out of business. Councilman James contradicted a number of statements made by Mr. Kilbourne, and explained what had been done by the corporations committee in regard to the provisions for underground conduit.

Councilman Navin, Muldoon, Castleman and Hull, took a hand in the discussion and asked Kilbourne many questions. One wanted to know if it was the expectation to bring heavy voltage from Cedar River over small wires.

"The larger the voltage the smaller the wire," answered Kilbourne with precision.

One rose to defend the poverty-stricken electric companies. He objected to ragging them out of existence.

Considerable cross firing followed, and the matter was finally laid over for one week's consideration.