National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-08-29
THE ELECTRIC EXPERIMENT.


Illuminate the streets and Sidewalks Fully.
The experiment now in progress Of lighting
the streets with electricity in place Of gas does
not seem to meet with either the approval OF
the commissioners or citizens. The Brush.
Swan Electric Light company agreed about
two weeks ago to supply lights for Pcnnsylva-
nin avenue east and west of the capitol, New
Jersey avenue north and south, Maryland
ayCuuc east and west, aud East Capitol street.
| The light for streets east, south, aud north was
to he furnished from the capitol building the
rays Of the rejecting lamps being turned on
these streets. The lights for Pcnnsylvnnia
avenue west are placed on the capitol 81.
Marc hotel, corner of seventh street and Penn
sylvania avenue: the Marble building,
corner Of Ninth street and Penn.
sylvania avenue. and the treasury
building. Since the Inauguration of the tests
the commissioners have watched them closely
and suggested several notifications. Their
first complaint was that the lights were too
glaring, and the company attempted TO rem
cdy this defect by placing yellow ground glass
| In front Of the focus of each lamp to temper
the sharpness Of the light. This attempt was
not altogether satisfactory, however, and the
| lights are Just as glurng rs ever Another &C.
! feet of the lights Is that they do not light the
sidewalks, being placed in the center Of the
| streets, and not penetrating the foliage
of the trees that line the side
walks making them almost totally dark,
| except ut the street corners. Another com
!
| illuminate the streets for any distance, except
| in TIE immediate neighborhood fthe lamps.
| Then, too, state the commissioners the lights
| sYluttcr and are not ms steady as they were
| Thcn they were first put on trial.
Whether the electric light company is max
| ing efforts to alleviate the defects, or whether
! they ntCnd to do so, Is not known, but If they
] do not take some measures looking toward re-.
! ward relief II Is not prObbblc that they Will
| secure n continuance of their experiment In
| the form OF u contract
| Up TO the last session Of congress, the law on
| the subject of street lighting was wordcd so us
! TO provide for gas lighting only, and recog-
| nized no construct with any other illuminnt
/ ing corporation. A law was passed last Scs-
| sion, however, authorizing the commissioners
| TO substitute other illuminating materials for
| the same or less price, and to use so much of
! me SUN appropriated as may be necessary for
/ that purpose. II j. under this law that the
arrangement for lighting the streets with
! electric lights by the Brush-Swan company
was made. The district pays SD per street
! lamp 10 the gus company, and the price paid
| to the Electric Light company under the law
! for lighting Pennsylvania avenue is about
/ S6.G2B per night. The company claimed that
| they could afford to light the streets for the
same price that the gas company can. but the
commissioners have considerable doubts about
| their claims.
The United States Electric Light company
has also made proposition to light streets,
| and Il conference between the managers and
| the commissioners resulted in an agreement
TO allow the company to light certain streets
and TO pay them at the same rate as the other
| company. The United States company let the
matter rest there, as far rs is known, and have
not put up any lamps or apparatus. There is
| considerable rivalry between the two com.
pancs, the United States company claiming
that they were the first on the ground and
should have been given the first contract.
Relative to this the commissioners say that
they do not intend to allow corporation Of
any kind the privilege of furnishing service
for the public until such corporation can prove
| the merits of their light