Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1881-12-16
Gus Augslrs Aerala.
RE Electric Liwht at San jose.


On Tuesday night the long talk.
I'd Of electric light was put in rum
ming order and turned on. Judg-
Ing from the report of the Mercury
Il was . complete success and gave
great satisfaction. We quote one
or two extracts from long &C.
count Of the occasion In that pa
per:
BY 8 o'clock an immense crowd
Of people had congregated in the
Vicinity OF Market and Santa Clara
streets, and ut various. points at
several blocks distant each way.
Shortly after the time announced
soft, white light was OBJ
served at the summit Of
the tower, which grew
In intensity and brillianoy until
the full power Of the six globes
were exhibited, and until the city
fer . mile In radius from the GEN.
trail point WAS envelopsd In . glow
like shat OF the golden moon. As
the full, clear stream Of light fell
over the city, Q murmur Of admira-
tjon ran through the crowd, and
the steam whistles Of the various
mills and factories sent forth notes
Of welcome. The fact that most
Impressed itself on the mind, after
the hrst view of the light, was the
stsadinsss, purity and softness Of
it, glew.
some idea of the power of the
light may be obtained from ex-
periments made by the Mercury
reporters and others. At the Quad.
alupe bridge, nearly q half mile
distant from the tower, the OBJ
servers shadow, opposite from the
light, was clearly discsrnable, not.
withstanding the fact that full
Jet Of gas was burning on the
opposite side of the street,
barely forty feet away. Mr..
T.. X. Dunlay states that
ct the corner Of Ht. John and Tenth
streets, over three.quartsrs OF q
mile away, and some blocks from
. street lamp, the light showed
with Q brilliancy equal to that Of q
half.mOon. At the corner Of Santa
Clara and Eighth streets, while
standing within thirty yards of q
twelve-candle power gas jet, and
directly between the gas and the
electric light, . full shadow was
thrown by his body from the latter.
Mr.. w. f. Ellis, City Clerk, who
resides on Eleventh street, over =
nAiIe from the tower, and whose
dwelling is located three or four
blocks from any street lamp, AZ
firms that he could plainly see the
lines on the pages Of small diary
ct : point In tho street opposite
his house. Mr.. r. B. Crichton
states that At . point ON San Au.
gustine street, across the Guada-
lups creek, the street was plainly
llghtsd.
.fhs Xercury office last evenin 6
was thronged with some of our
best known and most substantial
business men, whe oil, without ex-
ceptlon, gave expression to their
delight 1t 70 successful an experi-
ment, and congratulated Mr.. Owen
upon the hvppy result of bis per-
slstent labsrs. The benefit to be
derived from the recent pro-
ject will not be limited to
San jose alone. All over the
State the eyes OF the public
have been directed to the electric
tower, and 1t will be butts compara-
lively short time before the most
important cities on the coast will
be lighted by similar means. In
the meantime San jose may justly
pride herself upon the fact that she
10 the only city west Of the Rocky
mountains that has risen to the
dignity Of being Illuminated by
the electric light.