Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-19
mH. GLASGOW REPLIES.
The Tower system or street-Light-
Ing.
n tbo Edifor Of The DispQich:

To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
In vour issue of July 18th there was
published a proposal of the Virginia
Electric Light and Power Company to
light the streets OF the entire city with
twenty-five towers and 100 arc lights III
addition to those now in use. This offer
was accompanied bya report Of tho Com
mittee cn Electric Light containing a
comparative statement of the cost OF
lighting the streets by electricity and gas.
This statement showed that the city
would save annually the sum OF SO, 4z9
byaccepting the proposal as above stated
and dispensing with the use OF gas ior
street.lighting. 1t showed also that 296
additional gas-lamps would be required
to cover the area it WAS proposed to light.
This result differed SO from my own
IMPRESSIONS OF the relative cost OF the
two systems Of lighting that | took the
trouble to prepare from the City Audi
tors accounts careful statement OF the
cost OF gas for the year 1887. This
statement was given to che public in de-
tail and showed the cost of the present
street service OF electric lights to be
about double the cost Of the gas'lamps
displaced by it. Mr.. Pizzini published
a communication in your paper denying
the correctness OF my statement. To
this l replied on the eve of leaving the
city. During my absence two communi-
cations appeared in your issue of the I'd
instant commenting on my reply-one
from Mr.. W. H. Cole, superintendent OF
the Electric Light and Power Company,
and one from AIR. Pizzini, which re-
duire some notice from me. Mr..
Cole thinks my article misleading
in referring only to the tower feature OF
his proposition, and in speaking of the
towers as condemned elsewhere. tie
proposes with 20 towers and 100 arc
lights to displace about 800 gas-lamps
q. 200 now in use and 800 more required
TO cover the same area. The part OF
this service to be performed by the arc
lights NAV be sscertained by the service
of the arc lights now in use, 100 arc
lights displacing about 300 gas-lamps !;
so that the % towers must cover the
area OF about 1000 gos-lamps, an ave-
rage Of 40 to 80 lamps to be displaced
by each tower. 1t is apparent, then.
that the chief agent in the scheme
is the towers, and on them de-
ponds the success OF the scheme.
Are they successful elsewhere ? Mr..
Cole refers to number OF cities using
them, and | select from these New York
and Savannah. In New York tall masts.
with six arc lights on each, were erected
in two of the parks The Superin-
tendent of Gas aud Lamps writes /:
"They were not satisfactory, rs the
parks were not properly lighted by
thom, and have been abolished" 1t
does not appear that the city of New
York has any towers in use.
In Savannah l learn that "towers
were first introduced, but did not prove
satisfactory" "Arc lights at the inter
section of streets are better than towers"
The experience of Savannah is not ia
yorable to combination OF towers and
arc lights, but TO the use OF arc lights
instead.
Mr.. Cole brings out the chief objec-
ton to the tower system, which is inter
yening foliage and, / add, any other OBJ
struction-such as the roofs of houses.
The electric ray must penetrate TO the
street. or the shadow makes darkness
rather than light. / submit, then, that
an electric tower which covers the area
OF forty to fifty gas-lamps in this city
will meet with such distractions from
foliage OF trees and roofs of houses that
it will cast more shadow than light on the
sidewalks and alleys
Mr.. Cole asks further, "Why compare
tho cost OF gas and electric light? Peo-
pie do not compare the cost Of pheasant
with mutton.chop." 1 answer that the
comparison was first instituted, as have
shown above, by the advocates of his
proposal am glad to find thathe con-
siders it Improbable, and that he is not
disposed to follow that investigation
further; and in taking leave OF him i
beg 10 say that l agree with him in the
beauty Of the electric light. As men,
Der Of the Council favored the policy
OF lighting our two chief business streets
and parks with il, Notwithstanding the
cost is much greater. To thia extent
our people may prudently indulge in
pheasant rather than mutton-chop; but
beyond this think they will be satisfied
with the plain, substantial, economical
mutton-chop, and moro 20 ss the mutton
comes from their own pastures.
Vey respectfully =. 4, GLASGOW.