Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-11-29

TEE GAS ON TEE AvEsUE.-Mr. Editor
In your paper Of the Path instant L observe a
paragraph headed "The Gas Lights" in
which you complain Of the small burners on
the Government lamps on Pennsylvania ave-
nue.. Absence from the city has prevented
me from furnishing you sooner with the ex.
PLANTATION which now propose to make, and
which L trust will be entirely satisfactory to
you.
The lamps originally had on them six feet
burners, which only allowed them to be kept
burning during part of the night, so as to re-
strain the cast of the gas consumed within
the appropriation made for the purpose by
the Government. Complaint was made that
the lamps were not kept burning all night;
and particularly by members of Congress, to
whose liberality the city is indebted for the
Avenue being lighted with gas So, to re
move this complaint by keeping the lamps
lighted all night, 1t was found necessary to
reduce the size Of the burner to five feet
There are so many lamps on the Avenue (be-
ing nearly three to one on the cross streets)
that / do not think there can be any Just
cause Of complaint Of a want Of sufficient light
(D For all useful purposes there is in my
Judgment, ample light on the Avenue Vastly
more than on any Of the cross streets, the
lamps on which are under the superintendence
OF the company. / am strengthened in this
opinion by the fact that in Boston and Lowell
nve feet burners are used, and in the city Of
New York only three feet burners. o.
III the pressure Is properly regulated by the
Company, do not think there would be any
complaint Of want Of light from the five feet
burners, provrded THE gas IS of good quality -;
but If, as has been the case, the pressure at
one time is too great and at another too little,
the difference of light will be obvious to the
casual observer, 81 The pressure Iatterly
has been very great, and five feet burners
have been made to show, in the day time a
consumption Of seven cubic feet Of gas per
hour, and other burners in the same proper
ton to their size, a.
But after all. the question, so far as the gov
eminent lamps are concerned, is whether they
shall be kept burning part or the 1chOis Of
the night. If the former, then We can use 81
teet burners, but if the latter, We must use
i've feet burners, or the appropriation would
be exceeded The Corporation lamps are ex-
tinguished at II o'clock, which is q source OF
great complaint among citizens as well as So
JOurners. 1t would be better to use even
three feet burners, as in New York, and keep
them lighted all night, than six feet burners
and keep them lighted only half the night.
have no control over % the lamps in front
Of the Post Office buildings"
SUPERINTENDENT OF GAS CONSUMED
November 9th. IN THE CAPITOL, &c
Notes By the EdttOr.-1. The superiutend-
ent evidently did but his duty in reducing the
burners so as to bring the cost of the gas con-
sumed on the Avenue within the appropria-
tion made TO pay for it. The main cause OF
complaint against the Avenue lamps, howev-
er, Is the condition Of some of them at times
Three or four nights since, while most of them
were burning we'll, here and there there was
one almost extinguished. We could account
for that fact satisfactorily, only on the as
sumption that such Of them as were dim had
not been cleaned.
z. The superintendent forgets that the
streets OF Washington are much wider than
those Of Boston, Lowell, or New York; and,
therefore, that to light them as we'll, necessa-
rily requires larger burners than are in use in
the streets Of the other cities named above.
Pennsylvania avenue is $50 feet wide while
none Of the business streets Of either of the
northern cities are more than fifty feet wide,
from curb TO curb, if We remember correctly.
j. The Washington Gas Company have OF
late put in their works what are called press
ure gusges, to do precisely that which the su-
perintendent here recommends They will be
In operation next week, we hear, and will keep
the pressure on all burners in the city at pre-.
cisely three inches; the standard in use in all
the northern cities.
4. The pressure shown on the few burners
lighted In the day time is no criterion for
Judging OF the consumption az night. In the
day time heretofore the pressure has been, of
course, great upon the (perhsps) 100 burners
lighted; at night, with, 1t may be, ten thou
sand lighted, IL has been much less and more
regular. The daytime pressure is by no
means a correct standard
We have no doubt that the return Of the su-
perintendent from his northern trip in search
Of improvements for these lights will rectify
the main trouble with the Avenue lamps-we
mean with reference to their cleanliness for
We can testify to the fidelity with which he
attends to this business when here.
THI ILLUEIStrIoN. - Among the many
beautiful Examinations on Capitol Hill and its
neighborhood was the residence of Major Bar
ker and his sons, near the Navy Yard The
numerous windows Of three sides of the house
were fully illuminated, and drsped with the
transparent red, white and blue national COL
ors. On the top Of the piazza, around the two
fronts, transparencies Of the thirty-one States
Of the Union were placed, represented each by
a star, and intermingled with the bright
particular stars" the nineteen glorious Demo
cratic States, each hOnored name of which
was distinguished by it's own peculiar trans
psrency. -Four very large illuminated pic
lures occupied conspicuous places in this ga
laxy-the first q brilliant red star, surrounded
by the names Of Buchanan and Breckenridge;
the second a cock, " the herald of the morn"
IN the act Of proclaiming our victory over
darkness and desOlatioD; the third the God
dess of Liberty, seated, "calm as a summers
morning" under an arch composed o. the
nineteen patriotic States, with old Pennsylya-
MIA, the keystone, surmounted by an eagle
the pillars Of the arch Inscribed with the
names Of the President and Vice President
elect, the pedestal bearing the notices: Equal
rights, equal laws; Purity Of the ballot-box,
Religious liberation. The fourth picture was
a magnificent eagle, and very indignant and
fierce supporting scroll inscribed with the
names Of Buchanan and Breckinridge; her
talons grasping the lictOr's rods and axe; her
breast guarded by the national symbols of
Union, from which impenetrsble shield the
broken arrows Of Disunion, Intolerance, Fa-
natleism, Acknowledgment, rowdyism, ruff
hanism. are seen falling harmless, to the
ground.
On the procession passing these preparations
iSf tne evenln much interest was EXCITED in
the ranks, and cordial interchanges Of ,alutes
and salvol and cheers took place; and the
place was hOnored during the whole evening
Of illumination by throngs Of visitors, amope
whom were the several CITY bands Of music