Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-23
SPECIAL NOTICES.
~EDIsoN's SYSTEM CHALLENGED,

SPECIAL NOTICES.
K~EDIsoNs SYSTEM CHALLENGED
THE EDISON SYSTEM OF INcANDEscENT
ELECTRIC LIGHTING CHALLENGED AS
DANGEROUS BY THE UNITED ELECTRIC
LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY AND THE
UNITED STATES ILLUMINATING COM
PANY, WHO OFFER, IN AN OPEN LETTER,
TO SUBMIT TO ARBITRATORs FOR IN.
vEsTIGATIoN THEIR CLAIMS AS TO THE
GREATER ECONOMY AND SAFETY TO THE
CONSUMER OF THE WESTINGHOUSE CON-
yERTER SYSTEM AS USED IN THIS CITY
BY THEM.
An open letter. Of which the following il copy was
sent on Friday December 90 to the Edison Electric
Illuminating Company by the United Electric Light
and Power Company and the United States Illumin-
OFFICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRIC L1eHr AND
PowKR COMPANY, 5Y LIBERTY ST..
NEW YORK, Dec 20, 1889.
To the President Of the Edison Electric Illuminating
Company Of New York:
Dean sn: You have for some time. by sending your
officers and agents to customers with incorrect
and risIeadinU stafarnant. and .rra.d;p
through agents and paid ssitators grossly incor
rect and absolutely false information. been At
tempting to prejudice the public against the converter
system Of incandescent lighting .s used by Us in this
city. You have gone 30 far a. to attempt to in
nuence the Board Of Health against US. We are op-
straightforward and therefore to settle the question
to the satisfaction Of the insurance companies the
users of ncandescent lights and the bewildered public
we make the following challenge:
We challenge your company to . full and careful
investigation of the relative economy and safety to
\
of ncandescent lighting as used by your company and
the Westinghouse converter system used by us; the
investig to be conducted by board Of seven ex
pers three be chosen by each side and the seventh
by the six chosen one on each side to be familiar
with insurance matters and the others practical elec
tricians
We expect to prove by such an investigation:
1st. That conductors carrying high-tension alter
mating have been and can be safely and sue
cessfully operated under ground
I'd. That the Westinghouse converter system, Is
used by nsures absolute safety to the user of
csndescent lights. as the converter or transformer
placed the premises Of each of our customers serves
Is impassabe barrier against fire or accidents and
reduces the current of the street mains to harmless
sy of the introduced into the premises of the
consumer under your syatem.
Sd That the converter ira nsformer. accomplish
ing 1t does complete separation Of the currents in
the street from the wires the premises Of the con-
sumer Is absolutely essential for safe incaudescent
lighting.
4th. That under system the quantity of current
used by the consumer can be measured by our meter
with the greatest accuracy and that the
on the meter can be read by every customer.
With regard to the Edison system we expect to
prove:
1st That the Edison underground system Ii danger
Gus in the extreme because of its leakage which may
at any time cause fire ON the premises of the con-
sumer rs shown By the large number of dres which
have been caused by that system in this and other
cities.
I'd That your business can only be rendered safe
and the great fire risk incident to its removed by
the adoption Of the converter or transformer system
Sd That your company has NO meter which is re-
liable and that result its bills rendered to its Gus
toners are largely matter of guesswork.
We Will oe glad 70 submit to the committee any
other a. 70 the relative merits of the two sys
TENS which you would wish to have investigated.
In order that position may not be misunderstood
by the public have sent copies Of this letter to the
daily papers for publication We donot fear publicity
feel confident that the converter SYSTEM which
has into almost universal use in Europe TO the
virtual exclusion Of the Edison directcurrent SYSTEM
viii not suffer from fair by fair minded
men. Very respectfully yours.
THE UNITED ELEcTRIo LIGHT POWER 90.
THE UNITED STATES ILLUMINATING 90.
KTnh WASHINGTON LOAN AND TRUST
~ c,p,rs rG9MPASS6Xb r S6b ooo
TEMPORARY OFFICES. fit Io5i street NV,
Prcvious to the erection of the Companys Building
, cor. 9th and SITS. NV
MONEY LOANED ON COLLATERAL AND ON
Well Secured Loans guaranteed by the Company.
for sale.
W. b robson Secretary