New-York tribune., 1889-12-22
EDISON'S SYSTEM CHALLENGED.

THE EDISON SYSTEM OF INCANDEsCENT ELEC-
TRIO LIGHTING, CHALLENGED AS DANGEK'
ors Bv THE UNITED ELECTRIC LIGHT AND
POWER COMPANY AND THE UNITED STATES
ILLUMINATING COMPANY, WHO OFFER, IN
An OPEN LETTER. TO SUBMIT TO ARBlrEA-
TORS FOR INVESTIGATION THEIR CLAIMS As
10 THE GREATER ECONOMY AND SAFETY TO
THE CoxSrNER OF THE WESTINGHOUSE
CONVERTER SYSTEM, As USED II THIS CITY
BY THEM.
An omen letter Of which the following is copy,
was sent on Friday December 20 to the Edison
Electric Illuminating Company by the United Electric
Light and Power Company aud tic Chteu sIaucS
Illuminating Company
OFFICE OF THE - eo,,,.,-,,
UNITED ELECTRIC LIGHT MD PoNEh CohfANi' >
W-YORK, Dec. 20. 1880
To the President Of the Edison Electric Illuminating
Company, of Sew-IOrk: H.. -
Dear Sir: You have for some time, oy sehuLhs you.
officers and agents 10 our customers win Incorrect and
misleading statement and spreading broadcast throusl
your agents and paid agitators GrVssS aoieT. anu W.
even absolutely false Information, been attempting 10
prejudice the public against the converter system ol
mcandescent lighting used by lis IN tls cIy. iou
have even gone so far 10 attempt 10 mnuence tic
Eoard OF Health against us We are opposed 70 any
warfare except that wen n opv ppeto" d 70 the sst
faction of the insurance companies, the users oil mean
descent lights and the bewdered public, we make the
We Challenge Your company to a fun and careful in
vcsgaon of the relative economy siu saiey 70 's ~,
incaDdescent lighting, a. used by your company and
the Westinghouse converter system used ey US inc
investigation 10 be conducted by Doaru Oh seven ven
experts three 10 be chosen by each side and the
seventh by the six chosen one on each sue 10 De
familiar with insurance matters ana the others prac'
We expect 10 prove by such Investigation
lst That conductors CARVING mlsh eehsa1n ai.er e
mating currents have been, anu can Dc saieN anu
successfully operated underground . .
I'd That the Westinghouse converter system. as used
by Us insureS absolute safety TO the user OF in
candescent lights, as the converter OF Transformer
placed on the premises Of each OF our customers serves
impassable barrier against he OF acclaIlts ana
reduces the current OF the street mains 10 harmless
current usuaIlv of 30 volts, or One-iOurth the in
tensy Of the current introduced into The premises OF
the consumer under your system, t ,,or o.v,,h
3D. That the converter or transformer accomplish
ing as il does complete separation of the currents
In the street from the wirs on tne pres oI on
lighting. M -
4th That under our system the quantity of current
used by the customer can be measured by our meter
with the ere.tt accuracy and that the measurements
on the meter can be read by every customer
With regard 10 the Edison system, VIC expect 10
prove: . ,
1st That the Edison underground system ls danger
in the extreme bcrause OF its Ieahage Wnish NAV
a. any time cause hS ire large S s number Of fires which
have been caused by that system III this ana o'her
cities "
and the great fir, risk incident 70 ~ use removed by
the edopton Of the converter or net ~ r
liable and that as n resnh is bills rendered TO lis
customer, are largely matter 81 glc',Sorh. % " orb ans,
other oncs,ions as to the r,atiye merits of the two
sy stems which Won would wish 10 have investigated
IL order that position maS ot ~ ~ ~ 'p
tally papers for publication. We 90 not a. pabnsiE
A. we feel confident that the cohVerhr system Whsh
has into almost universal use IN Europe 70 the
virtual exclusion ~ the Edison direct current system
will not suffer from fair Investigation by airmnoed
men.
THE UNITED ELECTRIC LIGHT POWER co.
THE UNITED STATES ILLUMINATING 90. !