Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-24

listing could be established for 8, 700, 900, and
that with interest at per cent and deprecia-
ton at the same amount, the total annual
expense would not exceed 100000; whereas.
paying $209, 200 per annum for a service that
Is much more like that of a large and thrifty
village than like that OF the most beautiful
capital in the world.
OIL and Naphtha.
As regards the bids received August 1.
which are only for naphtha and oil lighting.
would recommend, that, subject to the ap-
prevail Of Congress, a contract be awarded
to the Wheeler Reflector and Light Com
pany. the lowest bidders, for not less than
500 oil lamps for a period Of i've years, At
$3.50 per lamp per annum.
The samples submitted have been thor
oughly tested, both In the laboratory and on
the street. None Of the naphtha lamps give
the specified candle power. even in the labor
atory, and, of course, give less In practical
use In the street. They have, however. GER
tain advantages in the street In the way OF
neatness OF appearance that might JUSTIFY
waving this requirement, II the price were
low enough to compete successfully with
the Oil lights. The lowest bid for naphtha
is, however, $3.50 per annum for a fve-year
contract. which is SIS per hight more than
the price for oil. For the locations where
these lamps are to be used-mostly In alleys
and In the suburbs-it is believed that the oil
lamps with reflector answers the purpose
sufficiently well to justify saving this 8. so
and applying 1t to the maintenance OF ad-
ditional lamps for localities that would 9TH
erwise be without any.
Neither Of the two bidders submitted an
oil lamp that would give the prescribed
twenty-five candle power without the re
Hector, but with the reflector the candle
power Of the lamp submitted by the lowest
bidder is 66.9S with two-way reflector and
1923 with four-way reflector. Under these
conditions paragraph IA Of the specif1ca-
tons will be imperative. and the contract
should specify instead candle power main
tanned in the street should be thirty candle
power with four-way reflector ana nfty
candle power with two-way reflector; the
assent Of the contractor to this modinca-
ton of the specifications should be OBJ
tanned II these recommendations are ap-
proved by the Engineer Commissioner.
In recommending the single wick oil
lamp at $3.50 per annum in preference to
the double wick lamp at $4S0 l am gov
erned by the fact that while the double
wick lamp in the laboratory did much bet
ter than the single wick burner, the DIFF
ference does not hold when tested in actual
in view of the habitual insufiiciency OF the
appropriations, the saving Of the 50 cents
difference in cost is important. as 1t Will
enable us to light correspondingly larger
number of lamps, and there are many
places in the District where there are no
lamps at all. and where they are badly
needed.
It is to be observed that the contract
recommended is only for minimum
service of 500 lights; the number OF such
lights now in use is 700, and 1t may become
desirable at an early date to raise this
number to 1000 or more; there Will then be
nothing to prevent our advertising again
and making second contract for eoo
naphtha lights in addition to the 500 Oil
lamps provided under the specifications re-
Gently advertised.