Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-28
WHY THERE WAS NO LIGHT.
Unusual Demand for Lighting Stores Durir
the Holiday Season.


the Holiday Season.
The attention Of Capt. A. A. Thomas, the
president of the United States Electric Lighting
| Company was called this morning by a STAR
| reporter to the complaints printed in The STAR
relative to the poor quality of the service rem
dered by the company and the total lack of it
occasionally in some sections Of the city. Capt.
Thomas said that if the writer Of the communi-
| cation in The STAR on Saturday was aware Of
the efforts that had been made by the company
| to maintain the service the unfairness of the
criticism made would be acknowledged.
THE DEMAND UNPRECEDENTED.
The situation might be summed up, he said,
! in the statement that during the holiday season
the demand for electric lighting had simply
| been unprecedented. Merchants, instead of
| using portion of the lamps, turned on the full
| force and for O longer time than usual. He
would venture to say that the business places of
! the city had never before been SO brilliantly
| illuminated. When the company found that
their new plant would not be ready for use by
| the middle of November, anticipating as much
as possible the increased demand they had re-
| fused to put in new lamps or to increase the
candle power OF those already in. They had
| secured the use OF the engines in the Washing
ton Loan and Trust Company's building and
| in the Panorama building, to which dynamos
| were attached and circuits supplied. They had
tried to secure other engines but had failed.
When the use Of the light increased to point
| where the engines we're unable to keep up the
supply of steam, the plan was adopted of cutting
off boiler from arc-liSht circuit and turning
| the steam into the general steam chest which
| supplied the power for the incandescent lamps.
| AS was well known, he said, these latter lamps
| through the city are all on one circuit, while
the arc lights have separate circuits.
| INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS MORE IMPORTANT.
| When it came to a question of stopping one
| or the other no concluded that the individual
interests were CT more Importance and SO for
few hours the arc lights in one or two streets
| was cut off. He considered that this great de-
mand for service would cease after January 1,
| and then the power would be sufficient to meet
| any normal demand. When the new plant was
\ completed the company would be able in ad-
| dition to the present service to increase its
facilities. Their aim was to give q good service
| and it was no fault of theirs that there had
been defects during the past few weeks.
THE coECoRAN ART GALLERY.
As to the Corcoran Art Gallery,:Capt Thomas
said that in view Of the great demand made
| upon the company they had been obliged to
notify the authorities Of the gallery of their
inability to supply light for the one night in
the week required. He had offered to furnish
| the light for Sunday nights, but it was not
wanted then. He regretted that this lighting
| could not be supplied, but it was convenience
| to the public In the early part of next IL onth
| he expected to be able to furnish the gallery
| with light.