The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-04-03 00:00:00

ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

The Times of March 27th, says :—" The Metropolitan
Board of Works has just renewed for one year the
contract with the Societe Generale d'Electricite for
lighting. the Thames Embankment and Waterloo-
bridge by means of the Jablochkoff system of electric
lighting. The new contract will expire on the 10th of
April, 1881. In view of this circumstance it may be inter-
esting to note brie fly the gradual extension of the system,
especially as regards its application to public lighting on
the Embankment. It may be remembered that the first
arrangement was made in October, 1878, by the Metro-
politan Board when they contracted with the Societe
G6nerale for lighting by means of twenty lights that
portion of the Embankment lying between West-
minster and Waterloo Bridges. The first public illu-
mination was on the evening of the 13th December in
that year. On the 10th of May, 1879, the lighting of
the Lmbankment was extended eastward from Water-
loo-bridge to that of Blackfriars, twenty lights being
added to the twenty already working. A further ex-
tension of the system was effected on the 10th of Octo-
ber, 1879, when ten more lights were placed on Water-
loo-bridge, thus bringing the total number of public lights
in that locality to 50. Since the dates mentioned above—
that is, for 15 months for the first series of 20 lights,
10i months for the second series of 20, and 5A- months
for the last series of 10—the whole of the lights have,
been kept uninterruptedly burning every night, Sun-
days included, for their allotted time of six hours
according to the contract. These facts are worthy of
consideration when it is remembered that the plant
and machinery were originally laid down for 20 lights
only. The subsequent extensions not having been con-
templated at the time, no provision whatever was
made for them. This has necessitated considerable
alterations to the plant each time the additions were
made and those in charge had to do the best they could
under the circumstances to meet the case. It is alscr to be
borne in mind that 10 more lights were subsequently
obtained from the existing plant, making sixty alto-
gether, the last ten being those which illuminate the
Victoria Station of the Metropolitan District Railway.
Since the first contract was entered into the prices
paid by the Board have been considerably reduced.
In the first instance the price paid was 6d. per light
per hour. Upon the Board increasing the number of
lights to 40, the price was reduced to sd. per light per
hour; a further reduction to 3d. being made when the
number was increased to fifty, and the contract
renewed for six months. The lighting is now to be
carried out for 2id. per light per hour, the contract
having been extended to one year.
"The Jablochkoff system of electric lighting is now
in operation not only in public thoroughfares, but in a
great variety of works and private establishments as
well as in those of public resort. It is also in use in
the palace of King Thebaw, of Burmah, at Mandalay,
where there are 60 lights, and in the palace of Shah
Nasser ed Deen, of Persia, at Teheran, where there
are four lights. Prince Agaklan has six in his
palace at Bombay, and King Dom Luis I. of Portugal,
six in his Royal Palace of Caseneo. Queen Isabella of
Spain has also six in the conservatory of her resi-
dence in Paris. The Paris Municipal Council has
renewed for one year the contract for lighting the
Avenue de l'Opera, and Place du Thehtre Francais,
and the Sous Secretaire d'Etat, at the Ministere des
Beaux Arts, has authorized the lighting of the Salon
at the Palais de l'lndustrie in June next on the
Jablochkoff system. Altogether the application of
this system is quietly extending, and the Metropolitan
Board of Works deserve every credit for the part they
have taken in developing the question of electric
lighting in London."