The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-12-08
THE ARC LIGHTS.
Some Reasons Why the Full 1000
Candle Power Cannot be
Obtained.

1t will be noticed in the report of
the council proceedings that Mayor
Weaver spoke of an expert examina-
tion of the arc lights having been
made by a Minneapolis electrician
Friday night. This man came on the
11:10 p. m. train Friday night and
took the early Saturday morning
train home. By the aid of a photo
meter he tested number OF thelights,
both in the street an0 In stores, and
worked until about three O'Clock in
the morning. He submitted the fol-
lowing report, which was not read at
the council meeting:
HON. MAYOR OF MANKAT
At your request l have. made pre-
| liminary test of your arc lights in
comparison with the Minneapolis
| lights. And the conclusion at which
| have arrived is that, assuming the
Minneapolis lights are 1000 candle
power, the MankatO lights are not
over 1,l00. l do not claim to have
made scientific test. Nothing of an
expert nature. | find the lights to
be very variable, which fact probably
accounts for large share of the com
plant.
Very Respectfully.
ELECTRICIAN,
Mankato, Dec. /, 1898.
The gentleman desires his name
withheld for the present. He found
the average light at 972 candle power.
A FREE PRESS reporter showed the
report to r. d. Hubbard and r. E.
Brown this morning. Mr.. Hubbard
stated that he knew nothing of the
matter. No complaints had been
made to him, and he had not known
that there were any complaints. He
had thought that the city was get
ting the power called for in the con-
tract, and if iJ was not, this was the
first he had heard of it.
Mr.. Brown states that the lamps
would be looked to and cleaned up
and nothing would be left undone to
make the lights as strong as possible.
If necessary he would get new lamps.
TIE globes have not been cleaned for
several weeks and this would greatly
reduce the brilliancy of the lights.
The globes themselves, when clean,
reduce the power of the light by
twenty to twenty-five per cent. Tie
variation is explained in the move
ment Of the carbons, which is not e
gular.
Mr.. Brown further sta ted the lamps
were purchased as being of 1000 can
die power, and if that amount of
light is not given it is the.fault of the
lamps. The engines are run to the
full speed required to generate this
amount of electricity, and it would be
unsafe to run them faster. Notices
are frequently seen in the electrical
papers that the same complaints are
made in other cities, of the lights be-
ing under 1000 candle power. In all
cities the power is from 400 to LOGO
caudle power, and it seems to be i'm
possible to get it any higher. If the
GeSG with The phOtOmeter only made
the showing reported, it must be
that the result was caused largely by
the globes, and perhaps by taking
the measurement at t he wrong angle
Then again there is a chance of the
sperm throwing stronger light than
the standard. Some cities use red.
globes, and these take off SO high as
eighty per cent. of the power.
The Electric Light Co. appears to
be anxious to furnish the best pos
sible service, aud the council COM
mittee will no doubt be able to ar
range the matter satisfactorily.
Chairman Higgs, of the committee,
states that he will call the committee
together next week and interview the
company.