Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-18
SPECIAL NOTICES.

SPECIAL NOTICES.
'EEDIsONs 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 CON-
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-
vERTER SYSTEM AS USED IN THIS CITY
BY THEM
An open letter. Of which the following is . copy was
sent Friday. December 90 to the Edison Electric
Illuminating Company by the United Electric Light
and Power Company and the United States Illumin-
ating Company:
OFFICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRIC L1aHr AND
Power COMPANY, 80 LIBERTY ST..
NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 1889.
To the President OF the Edison Electric Illuminating
Company Of Ne,o York:
DEAR SIR: You have for some time. by sending your
officers and agents to our customers with incorrect
and misleading statements and spreading broadcast
through agents and paid agtators grossly incor
rect and absolutely false information, been At
tempting to prejudice the public against the converter
system of ncandescent lighting as used by us in this
CITY, You have gone so far as to attempt to in
iuence the Board of Health against U.s. We are op-
posed to any warfare except that which is open and
straightforward and therefore to settle the question
users of iucandescent 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
the customer Of the direct current thraewre system
of ofincandescent lighting used by your company and
investigation to be conducted by board Of seven e1-
perts three be chosen by each side the seventh
By the six chosen each side to be familiar
with insurance matters and the others practical cleo
tricians
We expect to prove by such investigation:
lst That conductors carrying high-tension alter
mating currents have been can be safely and sue
cessfully operated under ground.
I'd. That the Westinghouse converter system, as
used by u.s. nsures absolute safety to the user Of in
candescent lights the converter or transformer
placed the premises Of each our customers serves
as an impassabe barrier against fire accidents and
reduces the of the street mains to harmless
current usually of 90 volts or opefourh the inten
sty Of the introduced into the of the
consumer under your system.
Sd. That the converter or transformer. accomplish
ing as it does complete separation of the currents in
the street from the wires on the premises of the con-
sumer is absolutely essential for safe ncandescent
lighting.
4th. That under system the quantity of current
huth h.
with the greatest accuracy and that
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
In the extreme because of its leakage which may
at any time cause fire the premises Of the con-
have been caused by that system in this and other
cities
ID That your business only be rendered safe
and the fire risk incident to its use removed by
the adoption OF the converter transformer system
3D. That your company has meter which is re-
liable and that result bills rendered to its GUS
We will be glad to submit to the committee any
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 publicity
"A we feel that thu ,-h;o
has come into almost universal use in Europe to the
virtual exclusion of the Edison direct-current SYSTEM
will not suffer from fair by
men. Very respectfully yours.
THE UNITED ELECTRIC LIGHT POWER CO.,
THE UNITED STATES ILLUMINATING CO.
n,