The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-02-25
ELECTRIC LIGHT WANTED HERE.
The Future of this Light Discussed
and the iujustiec Of the Present
system Of Lighting Rich.
mond Streets rofnt-
ed Out.
IFor the ptsnatch.l !

| tut ltttnt uiSbitrtfVu Va iht Sto
question II seems the existence Of the elec-
trio light and its great possibilities have
been overlooked. Itsvast superiority over
| gas for street-rghting is now beyond ques-
| ton, and IL is utilized for that purpose to a
greater or less extent by most OF the princI-
pal cities Of the world.
Electric lighting has passed its expert
mental stage, and that il will supersede gas
Is only question OF time. IL does not fol-
| low, however, that the gas-works now In ex-
istencc will become useless. They will, 1t
now seems clear, be utilized to furnish gas
for both lighting, heating, and cooking
purposes.
Instead OF earting fuel TO business and
dwelling-houses as ut present, IL will be
conveyed in the form Of gas to the con-
sumer for heating and cooking purposes.
II Is stated that every city In the United
States Of over $4,000 inhabitants, except
Richmond, has the electric light, and many
Of the smaller cities are using Il.
| Savannah. Ga, with $4,000 inhabltants,
| lights its streets with electricity, and Nor
| folk proposes soon to do so.
Richmond stands alone among the prin-
cipal cities Of the country in its refusal to
adopt electric lighting. II may, conse-
quently, be said TO be the poorest lighted Of
all the large cities in the United States.
Along It's remarkably handsome streets
citizens must, after sundown, grope their
way by the feeble light afforded by the gas
lamps.
According TO the figures OF the Superin-
tcndent OF the Gas FORKS for the year 1882,
a profit OF $50, ,329, or about 70 per cent. Of
the receipts, was shown, and $47, $50 worth
Of gas was furnished for lighting the streets
and public buildings, all Of which was de-
rived from less than one third OF the popu-
Iation OF Richmond. II appears that S55,-
800 went into the city treasury, and was no
doubt used in the payment Of the ordinary
expenses OF the city government.
The City Gas-W Works are the property OF
the citizens OF Richmond, and over two
thirds OF the works belong to citizens who
do not Use gas. They own q controlling
interest, and compel the remaining one
third OF the citizens to pay the entire eX-
pense Of lighting the streets, giving them
very little light for their money. They
also require them TO pay over $4,000 to-
wards the general expense OF the city. We
are told that this is to pay the interest
upon the works, pipes, etc, costing about
one million dollars. But taking the figures
fOc 1882 as basis, il appears that the gas
consumers have not only pald the interest
upon the cost Of the works, but have paid
handsome sum on account OI the Ir.nci-
pal.
Mr.. Knowles tells us that when the gas
works were built il was only intended
they should be seli-sustaining, which is
right and proper. Six per cent. interest
upon the cost OF the works ~ $780, 900 per
annum, but it seems the hapless one third
not only sustain the works, but pay over
| 10 per cent. interest upon their cost-viz ,
So, ,329 profit in money. and Si7, ,5j4 worth
Of gas used for city purposes.
1t will he instructive 10 examine the SUI
perintendent's figures in another way. Mr..
Knowles gives the total cost OF manufac.
turing l1,1i4,G00 feet OF gas IN 1882 as
Sl35, ,5G2.90; deducting from this amount
the value OF the products Of manufacture,
&C., SIG, 1871 we find the actual cost to
have been Sl10,40 or $l.0S per 1,00O
feet. The gas-takers are consequently
charged nearly twice it, actual cost. They
pay 81 for gas costing $l.0S.
The enormous profit il expended in
lighting the streets and public buildings
and to deiray the general expenses OF the
city government. Now, ii would seem
that il good coal-gas were furnished pri-
yatc consumers at actual COST, and the city
would pay cost FOL. the gas consumed in its
buildings and streets, the gas problem
would be in a fair way OF satisfactory soli-
ton. Then the principal objection to the
introduction OF the electric light-yiz.,
that it would interfere with the revenue OF
the gas-wOrks-wOuld fail TO the ground.
If gas made at Sl.0S per thousand can
not compete with the electric light, Il Is
not right that citizens should longer be de-
barred the use OF so cheap an iiluminant.
When the equitable policy OF Illuminating
the streets at the expense OF the entire city
Is adopted the electric light viii. be util-
lied for that purpose, and Richmond re-
lieyed OF the not very agreeable reputation
OF being the darkest city in the country.
Assuming that the cost OF Lighting the
streets by electricity would be % or 80 PEI
cent. more than gas, the volume OF light
would be much greater.
One good electric arc lamp would give iaI
more light than FIVE gas-lamps. The electric
light would furnish volume of light equal
to 1000 candles against the light OF fifty 10
sixty candles furnished by the five gas
lamps-a difference OF about thirty 10 one
i'm favor OF the electric light.
II the present policy OF operating the
gas-works a. q s0mce OF revenue be aban-
doned, and good coal gas be furnished al
actual cost, our City Fathers win no doubt
be relieved OF further embarrassment or
the subject OF gas.
The adoption OF the equitable policy Of
lighting the streets at the expense Of nj
the citizens cannot much longer be post
poncd. ARC.