Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-05-20
Street Lights.

In the reign of Louis XIV, one of the
most magnificent spectacles was sup
posed to be the general lighting of the
streets of Paris. The world was invited
to witness the novel scene. 1t was be-
lieved to be the highest achievement of
modern civiliZation-neither the Greeks
nor the Romans seem to have thought
of the wonderful invention. Yet the
lights of the great city consisted only of
dim lanterns and torches, dispersed at
distant intervals, and, compared with
the bright glare of modern gas, would
have seemed only dusky gloom.
Whether the Greeks and Romans lighted
their cities at night is still in doubt. 1t
is probable that Rome, except in rare
instances of festive illuminations, was
left in darkness. Its people, when they
went out at night, carried lanterns or
torches, or else wandered, in moonless
nights, exposed to robbers and Stun
bling over obstacles. Antioch, in the
fourth century the splendid capital of
the East, seems to have set the example
of suspending lamps through its princi-
pal streets, or around its public build
ings. Constantine ordered Constanti-
nople to be Illuminated on every Easter
eve with lamps and wax candles. All
Egypt was lighted up with tapers float
ing on vessels of oil at the feast of Isis !;
and Rome received Cicero, after the
fight of Catiline, with display of Ian
terms and torches. Yet the practice of
lighting up a whole city at night seems
in fact, modern invention.
Paris and London dispute the priority
of the useful custom. Atthe opening of
the sixteenth century, when the streets
of Paris were often infested with rob-
bers and incendiaries, the inhabitants
were ordered to keep lights burning, af-
ter nine in the evening, before the win
dows of their houses; in 1858, vases
filed with pitch and other combustible
matter were kept blazing at distant in
tervals through the streets. A short
time af5erward, lanterns were provided
at the public cost. They were at first
only employed during the winter
months, and were soon Kept constantly
burning. ReYerberating lamps were
next invented, and were usually
surrounded by throngs of curl
Gus Parisians. In 1777, the road
between Paris and Versailles, for
nearly nine miles in length, was lighted
and in the present century, the French
metropolis has steadily improved its
street lamps, until the introduction of
gas made the streets of Paris as bril-
liant by night as by day. Its light was
never quenched until, in its recent
humiliation, its glittering boulevards
and sparkling parks were hidden in
unwonted gloom.
London claims to have lighted it,
streets with lanterns as early as l4l4,
but the tradition seems doubtful.
About 1868 the citizens were ordered
to place lamps in front of their houses
every night during the winter; but as
late as 1876 the rule was imperfectly
obeyed. Robbers filed its narrow
streets, and life and property were never
secure in the darkness. Gas lamps were
next introduced, at the public expense;
the number was rapidly increased, and
toward the close of the last century the
citizens of London were accustomed to
boast of their magnificent system of
street-lamps, which far surpassed that
of Paris. The roads running from the
city for seven or eight miles " ere lined
with crystal lamps. At the crossing of
several of them the effect was thought
magnificent; and what would now be a
dim and dismal array of smoking lights,
seemed then one of the wonders OF the
time. Novelists and poets celebrated
the nightly illumination of the over
grown capital. Vienna. Berlin. and
other European cities followed the ex-
York and Philadelphia early adopted
the custom. Rome alone, still cIinging
to the usages of the middle ages, re-
fused to light its streets; the popes
steadily opposed the heretical inven-
ton, and preferred darkness to light.
AT length came wonderful advance.
For three centuries civilization had
prided itself upon its lamps or lanterns;
it was now to shine in novel brilliancy.
The Chinese, who seem to have orig;
mated without perfecting most modern
inventions, had long been accustomed
to sink tubes into beds of coal, and carry
its natural gas into their houses, and
even their streets, for the purpose OF
illumination. They also used it for
manufactures and cooking. But they
had never discovered the art of making
gas. In 1892, Mr.. William Murdoch
first used gas for lighting his Offices and
house in Redruth, Cornwall. The
Birmingham manufacturers at once
adopted the invention. The unparal-
leled splendor of the light at once at
tracted public attention The peace of
1902, transitory as a sudden illumin-
alton. was celebrated by the lighting of
the factory of Watts and Boulton, at Bir-
mingham, with flame that seemed to
rival the brightness of the stars. The
invention spread over the world. Lon
don, ashamed of its once boasted array
of endless lamps, now glittered with
hundreds of miles of gaslights. Paris
again called the whole world to witness
its tasteful illumination The cities oi
the new world lighted up every corner
of their busy streets. Even Rome
yielded to the useful invention.
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