Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-12-16
ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

Valuable Information on the Subject OF
Using Electricity for Street Lighting.
Special Correspondence or ne Rsgistsr.
CHARLESTON, w. VA, December -.
Noticing that you are advocating the
adoption OF electricity for street light
ing in your city and in doubt about just
what is wanted, will attempt to throw
light on the subject by giving you some
general information as 10 the character
and working of the electric light plants
operated by private parties in this city.
The Charleston Gas Light Co. has
capacity OF % arc lights OF 500 candle
power They have now about placed
all their lamps in stores and manutac-
turing concerns. The Gas Light Co.
use an Otto 30-hOrSe power gas engine.
The Kanawha Company have about
eighty or ninety are lights and any
number Of incandeScent lights in Oper-
alton. The Kanawha Company are
lighting the city with about sixty or
more 1900 candle power are lights.
Under this arrangement the city IS
fairly well lighted, but not 50 well
probably nor so cheap aS could be done
by electric light and gas light combined.
Lamps are located at long distances.
Gas lamps interpreted az proper in
tervalS would greatly improve the illu-
minatiOn OF Charleston. Wheeling
could DO this at little cost, because she
owns her gas plant.
There is talk among some OF your
officials and councilmen, l observe. Of
od,ptfpf, a r,1anf LARGO auouwh IN sun
ply some 400 i. 900 candle power lights.
This is quite unnecessary. Two hun
dred lightS-Say Of 500 candle power
would be sufficient. Chicago has not
more than 500 lights. The 500 candle
power lamp will give nearly much
illumination as Zoo candle power. The
Illuminating difference Is not noticeable.
except TO the practical eye. There IS
more than one argument ia favor OF
the lower candle power light. rs the
square Of the distance Increases the
light dimiinSheS. After the first ten
feet the power OF the light decreases
sixteen times, and as the distance in
creaSeS, the per cent. OF diminishing
light increases many times.
With the smaller candle power lamps
the horse power required, aS every one
knows, is much less.
Thus, with SOO-candle power lamps
the city can afford 10 locate them az
shorter intervals, secure Is many candle
power in the aggregate As with the
larger light, and yet diminish the cost
very considerably.
The are light is used for >t0rc-lighting
in this city and gives very satisfactory
results. This does away with the idea
that your city. if 10 went into the cleo
trlc lighting business, would, Of neceS-
sity, BE- compelled to put in an mean
descent plant. The arc light will answer
all purposes. Arc lights of 500 TO ZOO
candle power cost from $500 to
=. 90 per month for Store-lighting.
The street lights cost SO per year,
lighted according TO the gaS-calendar
except that they are lighted on cloudy
moonlight nights.
In this connection IL must be under
stood tnat gas can always be furnished
cheaper than electricity when you
take the candle power into consideration
This is especially 50 in Il city like
Wheeling. where gas can be- made Tor
so small sum per 1000 feet. Flee
tricity costs more. and until some i'm
provementS are made i'm producing II,
never can compete with gas in point OF
cheapnosS.
The advantage to be obtained in run
ming an electric plant, in connection
with the gas works. are many. For IN
stance. the utilization Of
either natural or artificial gas
for fuel in driving an
engine to furnish power for dynamoS,
and by this means the expense of boil
ers, water, liremen and engineers are
dispensed with. items that enter into the
cost very extensively.
Iappeud the names Of cities and cor
porate bodies using gas power In con
nectiOn with electric light plants; ka-
cine Gas Light Co., Racine, Wis, 30
horsepower, 50 Arc lights, Brush. 1000
e.. D.: Raleigh Gas Light Co, Raleigh
y. c., 100 horsepower, 100 Ark lights,
Tn. H., l.sOO c. D.; WoonSobket Gas
Light Co. WoOnSOcket. X. l., 100 horse
power. Arc aud alternating incandeS-
cent Brush system; Rockville Gas Light
Co. Rockville, Conn, 50 horsepower,
Tn. III. Are lights. l,2OO C. p;
Portsmouth Gas Light Co., Portsmouth,
Ohio, 80 horse power Ball are lights, 500
C. D.: GAINESVILLE Gas Light Co, Barnes
vile. Ohio, 80 horsepower. TT. Wayne
Janney incandeScent lamps; Atlantic
City Gas and Water Co., Atlantic City,
y. j., 80 horsepower. 80 Tn. IL. are
lamps, 1000 c. p; Sioux City Gas Light
Co. Sioux City. Iowa, 20 horsepower,
Brush are lamps; Morris Gas and Flee
tric Light Co.. Morris, Ill.,, % horse
power, Brush are lamps; Hamilton Gas
Light and Coke Co, Hamilton, Ohio, so
horsepower. Westinghouse incandes-
cent IL C. p; Spencer Gas Light Co,
Spencer. Mass. a. horse power, so L.
Il. are lamps, 1900 c. p: Derby Gas Co,
Birmingham, Conn, 80 horsepower,
Auxiliary TO water-power killingly GaS
and Electric Co.. DIniclSonyillc, Conn,
30 horsepower, Ball are lamps, l,2O0 e..
D.: Oshkosh Gas CO., Oshkosh, Wis, 100
horsepower. Gin course OF erectionl.