The evening world., 1889-12-21

for Investigation Their Claims
as to the Greater Economy and
Safety to the Consumer of the
Westinghouse Converter System
as Used in This City by Them.
An open letter, Of which the following is copy.
was sent OH Friday. Dec. 20. to the Edison Else.
trio Illuminating Company by tho United Elec-
trio Light and Power Company and the United
States Illuminating Company;
oFrifg po@ @r IHE TSiTyp m ErEGTFIg kIeHr ANpI
NEW YoRT. Dec 30. 1889
To The Prssids,tor The Edfson Eisc'ric Illuminating
Companion Ns,c Y0rI.
DEAR SIR: You have for some time. by sending
your officers aud agents to our customers with in
correct and misleading statements and spreading
broadcast through your agents and paid Sgtators
grossly incorrect and even absolutely false infor
nation, been attempting to prejudice the pgblio
against the erter system OF ncNnde ,ccnt light
ing used by us In This city. You havo gone
so far as to rttempt 10 Influence tho Board OF
Health against ur. We hre opposed TO any warfare
except that which is open and STRAIGHTFORWARD,
and therefore to '''s the question to the salts
a. of tho In, companies the users Of
inc and "scent lights and the bewiidered public we
make The following challenge;
We challenge your company TO 3 full and careful
tho customer OF the dircct-current three-wirs sys
tom oI incandosornt lighting a. used by your com
phny and the Westinghouse converter system used
by us: the invertiRAtion to be conducted by board
OF seven experts three 10 he ch..,L ny each side
and tho seventh by the six 80 chosen one on each
side tr be familiar with insurance matters and tho
ot hers practical electricians
We expect to provo by suoh an invcsti tiSNtion;
LIST. That conductors carrying high tension al
n a hny Dnd an he sat
succcsSfully operated underground.
ID That tho Westinghouse con nvorter system, a
'ed byr res absolute safety to the user OF
ncAndesce. Ehts, as the converter or trans
Ter pln on the promises of each OF
toners serves an impnssabe barrier against fire
accidents and reduces the current Of the street
mains to harmless current, usually of 80 volts,
fourth tho intensity OF tho current introduced
into the premises of tho consumer under your Sys-
tenn.
| I'd. That the converter transformer, ac-
compshlnE i docs n complete separation of tho
current in the street from the wires the
| premises OF tho consumer, Is absolutely essential
| for safe incandcscont lighting.
4th. That under our tystem tho quantity Of cur
rent used by the consumer can be measured by our
meter with tho greatest accuracy. and that the
measurements on tho meter bo read by every
, customer.
with regard to tho Edison system expect to
prove;
lst. That the Edison underground systom is
dangerous in tho extreme because of its leakage,
which may at any time fire on the prems 80
OF the consumer shown by the largo number Of
frcs hoh have been caused by that system In this
and other citsF.
I'd That your business only be rendered
sifo and the great fire risk incident to its re-
moved ty the adoption OF the converter or trans
former aystem.
| III. That your company hns no ne'er which is
| ro'isble, and that result it's bills rendered to
| ITS customers are largely matter of guesswork.
We will be ulnd to submit TO the committee any
other questions to the relative merits OF tho two
systcmR which you would wish to have investigated
In order that our position may not be mise nder-
stood by the public we have sent copies OF this lat
ter to the daily paperS for publication, We do not
fear publicity, as we tael confident that the cou-
Verter system, which has come into almost uniycr-
sal In EuroDe, to tho virtual exclusion OF the
Edison direct-current System will not suffer from
a fair Investigation by faii-minded men. Very re-
specttnlly vrnra
THE UNITRD ELECTRIC LIGHT h POWER
THE UNITED STATES ILLUMINATING co.