Telegram-herald., 1891-08-30
WANTED TOWER lights
The City Once Adopted That Sys-
TEN Of Illumination.
The COURTS STOPPED TIE SCHEME
Because the Contract Exceeded the Ceun-
cif's Pswers-The COMMITTEES TO In
vsstigass Unanimously IA
vored lt-Its Report

The question Of tower lighting is con.
sldered by some OF our citizens. as the
resurrection Of an old chestnut, es-
pecially by those who were some time
ago, active in the canvass of il. Grand
Rapids, about seven years ago came
very near having . system OF tower
lights, ia fact, the Inauguration of such
. system was only prevented by an
appeal to ths courts by those who were
opposed TO it. A contract was made IN
1854 to cover = period OF Eve years aud
the court annulled the contract on the
ground that the charter did not gise
the council authority 10 contract for SO
long time.
The canvass of the question Was b.
gun In December, 1888, when Crawford
Angel, then mayor. appointed a special
committee OF three TO investigate the
subject. That special committee re-
ported 10 the council In February, and
after considerable delay ana much DIS
cussion of the subject the report WAS
defeated III April 10y tie vote; ma
jority vote of all aldermen elect being
required to adopt 1t.
The report was prepared by Thomas
Nestor, chairman OF the committee and
was q very able presentation of the
work of the Committee. 1t ran as fol-
lows:
ITO the Honorable. the Common Council of the
City of Grand Rapids;
"Gentlemen-Yours SPECIAL committee
appointed to investigate the electric
light system, as now being used IN sew
eral cities throughout the country, re-
spectfuly report that they have care
fully examined the subjec. and beg TO
submit the following report:
"Your committee began its work by
sending out printed circulars 10 the
cities with populations similar TO our
own city. Those circulars contained
questions concerning the electric light
system in all important points. OF
eighty circulars sent fifty-four were
filled out and returned. OF this num-
ber thirty-one cities using the electric
for street lighting and fourteen cities
of the number were lighted exclusively
BY electric lights. The average cost of
the light of 1900 candle power $50
called) appears 10 he $2l7 per year, the
lowest being that of Bay City-they
pay 500 per year, lighted until mid
night, for $50 nights per year. The
highest price appears to be paid by
Nashville, Tenn..-one dollar per night
or $S65 per year.
"Of the thirty -<jile cities reported TO
your cousn,ittee as being lighted by the
electric light, twenty.five use the Brush
system, three the Thompson & Houston
or American system, one Van DE Pole.
- E.,ll
sidering the nusnber of hours the lights
are furnished, the Fuller plant is oper-
ated and light furnished to the city of
Dayton, Ohio, for less than any city yet
heard from. Twelve cities are reported
using the Tower system. Some light
their cities entirely by tower, while 9TH
ers have tower, masts and arches.
s&"Iour committee having duly con-
sidered the Information contained IN
said circulars, deemed 1t advisable to
visit few of the cities where the elec-
trlc light is used exclusively for street
lighting, that they might see the effect
of the different systems and report in
telligcntly to your honorable body.
"Your committee first visited Evans
vile, Indiana. This city is about the
size of Grand Rapids in popu alton.
Evansville Is lighted entirely by elec-
trio light. They have ten towers and
sixty arches and are run BY the Brush
system; the towers are 1SV feet high
with elevators, four Iiahts on each
tower of 400 candle power. The arches
are placed diagonally across the COR
ners of two streets 90 that when the
lamp 10 placed on the arch it lights IN
-four directions 10 its full capacity with
out being obstructed or wasting half
the light up against building. These
arches cost 500 and are fifty feet high.
Your committee are satisfied that this
plan of suspending the light IN the CEN
ter of the street where single light Is
used is far the best, but they are of the
opinion that some other contrivance
could be used other than the arch that
would be more ornamental and less
costly. The city of Evansville pays for
their light ga, cooper year or Sl7l each
for 1000 candle power lamps and are
lighted all dark hours. Your commit
tee were met by his honor, Mayor
BridwelI and . number of aldermen
and Was Hospitality entertained. Your
committee was given a drive through
their city TO see the towers, arches and
other points Of interest of which there
are many, by daylight, and again at
night, to witness the effect of the tower
lights in several parts Of the city. Your
committee found that the towers gave
the best satisfaction in the outskirts of
the city, or in the residence portion
where the houses are not high or close
together. The effects of the tower were
particularly noticed IN regard TO
shadows; il was noticed that where the
lights crossed no shadow appeared.
ut was further demonstrated that
the arches or lights suspended in the
center of crossings are far the beet for
the business portion of the city. The
tower system of Evansville 10 certainly
= success. II lights that part of the
city heretofore lighted by gas. at the
same time lighting the outskirts of the
city where the people mad no hghte be-
fore.
Your committee next visited Rock
Island. Ill. This city has eleven towers
l25 feet high, with two lights IN each
tower of 1900 candle power. The lights
are run all dark hours, The same ne
Evansville. on the Phiiadelphla plan,
which means sn average of two-thirds
OF every night from dusk 10 dawn. The
city pays s. 900 for the eleven towers,
or $500 for each light per year. The
system does not give az good light ss
Evansville, because they have not
enough lights in the towers, about four
1000 candle power lamps IN each tower