Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-22
SPECIAL NOTICES.
r~EDIsoNs SYSTEM cHALLENaE1

SPECIAL NOTICES.
EED1soSs SYSTEM CHALLENGED
THE EDISON SYSTEM OF INCANDRsCENr
ELECTRIC LIGHTING CHALLENGED AS
DANGEROUS BY THE UNITED ELECTRIC
LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY AND THE
UNITED STATES ILLUMINATING CON-
PANY. WHO OFFER IN AN OPEN LETTER,
TO SUBMIT TO ARBITRAToRs FOR IN
vEsTIGATIoN THEIR CLAIMS AS TO THE
CREATE ECONOMY AND SAFETY TO THE
CONSUMER OF THE WESTINGHOUSE CON-
vERTER SYSTEM AS USED IN THIS CITY
BY THEM
sent 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 LIGHT AND
Power COMPANY, 80 LIBERTY ST.,
NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 1889.
To the President Of the Edison Electric Illuminating
Company Of NeW York:
DEAR sIR: You have for some time, by sending your
officers and agents to customers with incorrect
and misleading statements and spreading broadcast
through your agents and paid agitators grossly ncor
rect and absolutely false information been st-
system of ncandescent lighting Is used by us in this
city. You have even gone far to attempt to in
iuence the Board Of Health against us. We are op-
posed to any warfare except that which s open and
straightforward and therefore to settle the question
to the satisfaction Of the insurance companies the
users of ncandescent lights and the bewidered public
we make the following challenge:
We challenge your company to q full and careful
investigation Of the relative economy and safety to
Of incandescent lighting used by your company and
the Westinghouse converter system used by MS; the
invests alton to be conducted by board Of seven
perts three chosen by each side and the seventh
by the six so 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-tenson alter
mating currents have been and can be safely and sue
cessfully operated under ground
I'd. That the Westinghouse converter system, as
used by insures absolute safety to the user Of in
candescent lights. ss tho converter or transformer
placed the premises of each Of our customers serves
impashle barrier against IRE or accidents and
reduces the current of .h1street mains to harmless
current usually Of SO vots or the iuten.
sty Of the introduced into the premises Of the
consumer under your system.
Sd. That the converter or snsformer accomplish
ing it does complete separation Of the currents
the street from the wires the premises of the con-
sumer. is absolutely essential for safe incandescens
lighting.
4th. That under system the quantity Of current
used by the consumer can be measured by our meter
with the greatest accurscy 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 is danger
Gus in the extreme because Of its LEAKAGE which may
at any time cause hre the premises Of the con-
sumner. shown by the large number of fires 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 system
Sd That your company has no meter which is re-
liable, and that result ts bills rendered to its
toners are largely matter of guesswork.
other questions 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 copies Of this letter to the
daily papers for publication We do not fear publicity
feel confident that the converter system. which
has into almost universal in Europe. to the
virtual exclusion Of the Edison directcnrrent SYSTEM
will suffer from fair investigation by fair minded
men, Very respectfully yours.
THE UNITED ELECTRIC LIGHT POWER CO..
THE UNITED STATES ILLUMINATING co.
E~THh WASHINGTON LOAN AND TRUST
0@ COMPANY,
CAPITAL, 3 100000
TEMPORARY OFFICES. IO0l + street NV,
previous to the erection Of the Company's Building,
cor 9Th and sts NV
FMONEY LOANED ON COLLATERAL AND ON
AT