The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-12-18
THE ELECTRIC LIGHTS
Chairman Noyes Thinks the comPa-
nv Not at Fault
General Manager Sawyer's Answer
to Reporter,

called on Mr.. Noyes, chairman of the city CON-
mittee on electrical appliances, and asked him
what the company was doing in answer to the no.
tice served on them by the cityor if they had made
any answer. The reporter told Mr.. Noyes that
many people believed that there was no founda-
ton for the company's statement that malicious
people cut their wires and that many thought the
company had not power enough to fill the con-
tract with the city.
Mr.. Noyes said he had made careful investiga-
tion. He was satisfied the company had ample
power, and that he knew the statement made by
the company about their wires was true
The reporter then sought an interview with
General Manager Sawyer, of the Electric Light
Company, and the following questions and ans
wers were put and made;
Reporter-AIr. Sawyer there has been great
deal of public comment on the recent failure of
lights, and it is believed by many that the compa-
ny's works are not adequate TO fulflsthe contract
with the city Is there ground for truth in this
belief?
M. Sdacyer-The contract Of the company with
the city calls for so arc lights and 220 incandes
cent All but five of the arc lights, and eighty-sx
of the ineandescent are in position. These will be
placed in position Immediately, and until they are
erected the company pays for allexpenses incurred
for lighting in those places, under their contract.
So that the city is under no expense outside of the
contract. The capacity of the station is for 275
arc lights. The company keeps in constant re-
serve one spare machine and engine. The COM
pany has three large steel boilers, and the third
one was brought into use only after Dec. 1st, and
then only in case of injury or lack of steam in the
other two. This shows that the capacity of the
works., and amount of power possessed by the
company is nearly double what IS required by the
city contract In addition TO this to show the
w. Ear '..s.,, ~ 49,. ~,
cohpahy soou i"i',i WIN inv nv my az ioi
ming lO2 commercial lights-or store lights-and
not 10 overload fine station have many orders
80, - ofaod - ooaa,+ ,,,h,o,, would ~,
winch nave reiuseu' W acoep" "iii'i "ou'u an
terfere with my reserve power.
Renorter-How is Il in regard to the incandes-
$50 i,nht.o
cent Heh'ss
from imperfect insulation, and the matter has
hoor hrouobt f,,lv before the American Edison
peeh otoushl iuiiy peioIo 'iie Aineiiodn i.uieoh
Company of New York, who are putting in the
ulant. received Yesterday a letter on this SUBJ
loot from Mr. Iohnson nresident of the Edison
Ject Iroih MI. Joihsoh presiuehe VI .no huisoh
Company, from which the following extracts may
he of interest to the Portland public:
T1,r En1so,r Co,,p.,rxr ,To,, iSsITI .rpn Liam
AhE EpisoN ~ 800 r1' 1 ,gu,S,1 Ia 90
iN1' % NJ III N va a Is ne un' ,oee
naor sr vorr Jor W az Sste ano tba
Dear Oh 1oui iafoI " sniS us.S co.ttiis se
a. @ nd i; =, tmo racsn ~
LOT y no" ae hu anu 10 now recenR our
pv ~ si..St! ~. ~ - 49,. - 49,. ,o,ou+a xo,
Inc ldct 10, until We p5Sdu W SeI ioyvito holl
your WORK al fortLanu we were Wnnout any
means OF Kn9wng pesiVely Wnetier tne Various f
ectiye or not, Observation-Disclosures ... -.
teaiaIeiy upon t n.o % .n th pot 70
SeS pou t vUIi f HE 'u f Sc cborocsar aS
W ~. Saisir. tI +arat,o,Sss
az az pSareeer es 10 mst;fY
pecaic VI oecl q Snaa aotei 40 " juosaJ
aremodelng OF me mechanism q tne lamp ana
W & ltt y, nT th hnI " ~ tho naet
VI 5Eu, doS.v, h NJ E, ;so d earaI ,,
WEN we 1s1 @u M, au ~ @ M oai
Of the lamp mechanism and Messrs. Batchelor
and Edison have been concurrently redesigning
t u ayhao Min MIL view oi e e o @
to inform YOU that SO fully appreciate the ener-
gency as to let no movement of time or item Of
e4sS taa u e ne way 1l STu o
not only have the general reputation Of the Edison
Company as guarantee OF this but you have my
~ tb ~ ,nncb for tba tmete
Now as for the moment have arranged with Mr..
Bachelor to send you the TWO armaIures and 70
aSpai t ae ~ @ W o S mo ch;nes dbus nrnv,in9
YOU with ample safeguards against accidents.
Meantime rapid work VIII be had upon the new
'vso raaards the cnt99nts Tor the ianns The
new model is finished and is to be tested early
tomorrow morning. ~ ls iuliy eApectea lnat ~ u
model ShonId this nrove 10 he the case will SO
telegraph Portland tomorrow and will proceed at
once 10 liter over your present cut-ou's as iast
You must give your friends in Portland to I'M
derstand that they have a duty which they must
hoI snrk, VIZ 10 uPn9iu you tnefe uiit YOU nasJ
and defective devices to the "evolutionized7 ap-
paratus.
IheTe Is aDSoiu,eiy no Tauicai ueiect III We ,; sy
things that onIv eSnerienca can bring 10 the sur-
face.
kegrettng the cumulaton OF tneSe tnings ana
''ie ui'o io'ui'' % Vnnrs frrl vu o"'''
EDWARD H. JOHNSON, President
Reporter-It is thought by many that the adycr-
tisement inserted in the papers by the company
offering reward for the detection of malicious
persons tampering with the company's wires and
lights is simply an excuse to cover the company's
failure to fill the city contract. Is this so?
Mr. Sa,cyeS-This company's wires have been
mterfered with many times in different parts of
the city. There is no possible way of lighting a
city without the lights being exposed to the
hazard of designing persons. Thursday night,
Dec 10TH between and O'Clock evil disposed
persons removed one side of a lamp from its
hanger board at the corner of State and Spring
streets. thereby opening the circuit, and the
trouhle was not located until 10 n m and then
only nv a lineman taking a niece of wire and clos
ing the circnit every hundred feet from the
station and following If nm mill he located the
trouble ONLY n few NIGHTS apo q Wen known
gentleman Of tbis citv was awakened
at m;dniobt nv voicas unders his window
and heard several men maturing plans
for DESTROYING lamn and oneninp the circnit
The oentleman brought his information To mo and
repeated his statement to Alderman Moves Tues