The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-10-14
Electric Lights,

Electric Lights.
The report of special committee of til
City Council, to whom, when the questio
of lighting the city by electric lights wa
first opened, the subject had been referre
for investigation, that they had visite
several cities where such lights were i
use, and from what they had seen, an
from such facts as they could gather, the
were prepared to recommend it's adoptio
here, etc, having been comtatted by par
ties interested in continuing The presen
4 system-that of lighting by ga5-arl 70
this and other reasons were opposed to th
introduction of electric lights, Mr. W. p
Tams, who had submitted the report t,
Courcil, and who had, in connection will
the special committee, investigated ths
| subject in the manner stated, in order Il
corroborate the report and show that il
was not colored, but reliable and trust
worthy, addressed letters of inquiry as te
the cost, etc., of maintaining the system
in Danville, Va, and Wilmington, N. C.
The answers received show that the report
of the special committee to the council
was in accordance with the facts, and that
not only were the members of the council
Justified In sustaining the report and or
dering the introduction of the electric sys.
tenn Of lighting, but that the ax.payers
may reasonably expect better lights and at
less cost.
The following is one of the letters re-
ceived by Mr.. Tams. 1t is from the city
engineer and superintendent of water and
gas works and electric light. Of the city of
Danville, and shows conclusively how the
the Houston-Thompson system works in
that city:
OFFICE OF CITY ENGINEER sc. \
DANYILLE VA, 9th Sept, 1886
MR.. W. 2. TAMs:
Dear Sir:-Your letter of the 22nd was reed
several days since, but pressing official duties
prevented my replying sooner. In answer to
your questions i'll reference to our experience
with gas and electric lights, would say that the
city of Danville has owned its own gas works
for nearly eleven years and has lighted the
streets with gas during that time until the Is tn
of last January when the Thompson Hou ston
1900 c. p electric arc lights were introduced for
street lighting. I had been close reader of the
coal gas journals for eleven years, had watche
the introduction and progress of electric light
ing and had fled away various official reports
from cities and towns, showing that the cost of
lighting their streets by the arc light was from
100 to 300 per cent. more than had been paid for
gas for the same purposes, so that when the SUBJ
ject was introduced here opposed the adop-
ton OF the electric lights upon the question of |
cost over gas lighting. Upon investi- |
eating the subject more particularly, we found |
that the cities and towns that were using the
electric lights were supplied by local electric |
companies, with various salaried officers and |
various other expenses, which required them
10 charge high prices for their lights to meet
Jhe demands of their organizations .and pay
dividend on their Investments. Our CON nit
zee recommended the adoption of the sys-
~ their water and gas departments and SUPER
Intended by their officers without extra nav
they visited various southern and wester
aties in their Investigations and recommended
he adoption of the Thompson Houston system
Which has come up fully to all that was claimed
OF IL ID prllilancy and steadiness. Our expert
nee is that these lights give us at least five
lines more light than we ever had from gas and
las proven 10 be much cheaper, even without
commercial circuit In the future, commercial
lights will be put up which will reduce the cost |
Il public lighting down to small sum. vari-
us gas companies throughout the country have
stapilshed electric lights to be run in counec-
ION Win their gas works. Our people are per-
eccly satlsHed with our lights and we have had
he qualification OF believing that we had the
est and cheapest street lights in the State.
In regard to our gas, would say that we have
cen paving ST. 81 ton fOr croc Fl On
bl for lime and are charging 81 so net for gas
IS further evidence of cur satisfaction with
ne thompson Houston lights. our city council
as ordered-by q unanimous vote-two is light
yhamos 10 take the place of the two 80 light
yhamos thatwere burned. The Items of cost
running our sixty lights, as given by Mr.. | T
losely to Mr.. Conrad, were items of probable | y
80 made UP by our committee before we start
she lights, and which wer9 reported to our
ouncn upon which to ask for an appropriation
IL the purpose The amount was 100000 Our
Apeiiehce OF SIX months has shown to us, how
yer. that our estimates were too high. They
an be run for about one half that amount per
mum. We paid for so horse power when 20 |
orse power is guaranteed to be sufficient. We
two linemen, when one GOULD have
aslly done the work. We estimated S7o0.QO
ofth OF carbon, while cbous half that amount !
as enough. With my experience, | am con- :
lnced that these lights can be run by us for'I
ae following costs, viz:
80 morse power, q $14. $500 90
one station man, 5000 per month -. 600 90
One 1ineman 1900 a aeo m
oaroohs, $50 90
~ anu " f.sse..' -'..................... so 90
11h.s oiooes''. ''............ so 90
lncidentals, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 100 90
$2050 90
we mad no difficulty in keeping the machinery n
sooa working order ana had but few inciden-
Il expenses Our streets look very desol ate | g
," Win gas instead of electric lights We
'pe very soon to have our electric plant re-es-
oiiSneo' Very respectfully, v
O. A. BALLOU,
City Engineer | 6
Isaac Bates. ESQ President of tho ha.lx |