Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-12-07
The Electric Light In Paris.

Seyenl OF the wider streets and
squares. and about forty workshops n
and about Paris. Are nov regularly
lighted by electricity. The sveaee
leading from the Grand Opera House
in lighted throughout its entise length,
and presents . good example Of street
lighting. The lamps are placed on
uo-,s. precisely like the gas lamps. ex-
eep, that the posts are taller and wider
apar,. The lamps are enclOsed in large
OPAL gla,s globes. and beyond this do
no, differ externally from the gas
lamps A the daylight fades away,
,h-rr comes, without warning. . sud-
den dash. aud every light in the street
is burning with an intense hits glare.
The feet is like daylight, except in
intensity. Every part Of the street,
the i'm lnense TRAFFIC In the roadway snd
the people on the walks. every srchi-
tecturAi detail OF the buildings to the
+, Of the roofs. every object however
minute in the windows, the flowers On
the balconies. are plainly visible and
IN their natural colors. The actinic
efiest is the same - by day. and ell
colors, both real and artificial, take
their true shades. Every sign on vail
or omnibus, the minutest patterns in
fabrics IN the finest print can plainly
be sen. People seated before the
cafes real their papers by the aid Of
lights OH the opposite side Of the way.
and yet the most delicate con.plexions
and soitest tints in fabrics do not suffer
in the white glare Of the lamps. livery
stone in the road is plainly visible. and
the horses move swiftly along ~ il
\ confident Of their footing. Such il
Examination is the perfection OF street
lighting. NeighbOring streets. though
more brilliantly lighted with gas than
any American streets, appear dark and
gloomy by contrast. Besides the Ave-
nue. de IOpera, there are Q number OF
theatres, halls and public buildings
and shops. lighted without or within,
and each case the electric light has
superseded gas or it 10 used where gas
would'be too expensive. The appear
ance OF the lamps used in Paris is pecu-
liar. The entire globe seems to be
hlled with light--no flame Or point Of
light being visible. The color is in
tense white, occasionally changing TO
blue or deep yellow for an instant. In
some few cases the light is naked, or
is placed in clear glass lamps. In what
ever manner used it is impossible to
look at the light for more than . few
seconds. This intensity, and the ocoa-
g. (nsl pickering Of the light, are raised
as objections to the electric light.
Or the other hand, why should any.
one look at the lamps any more than
at the sun, and when not looking 'di-
rectly at the light the Pickering is
hardly noticeable. In halls and shops
the lamps may be placed next the cell
ing, or behind screens, so that only the
reflected light can be seen, and out.of.
doors the lamps may be placed over.
head out Of the range OF the eyes. The
Pickering comes from o variety of
causes, and il is doubtful if it can be
wholly overcome. The points to &C.
cure are steady motive power Ia tur-
tbine being best), and good carbons in
Me lamps. Another objection has been
found in the deep shadows cast by
Opaque objects when lighted by cleo
tricity .s----Caroful observations both
here and in Paris, in halls, shops and
streets, failed to show that this is q
serious objection where two or more
lomna mead