Evening star., 1893-07-28
LIGHTING THE CITY.
The Superintendent Recommends More
Electricity.
His Annual Report to the Engineer Commls-
sisner-An Appeal for Absndoamest
OF Antiquated Methods.

The annual report Of G. L. Plympton.
superintendent of lights was submittsd
to the Engineer COMMISSIONS today ana
is a most Interesting document At tie
beginning of the fiscal year seoo47 80 was
available for street lighting OF which
amount 5s.e24es were expended
Speaking of electric lighting he saws thai
while the demands for electric light larnEs
In the District Of Columbia is steadily in-
creasing. the appropriations Therefor have
Is behind the principal cities of both our
own and foreign countries In this psrticzalaF
The proposition that electricity Is 70 SUP
plant all other agents for general lighting
need not, he says. be argued. and this eats.
II not allowed to lead, should be permitted
10 Keep in line with the other cities of oHr
Iano as the art Of lighting is develc,psi.
Every street and avenue in the pistri.t a
Columbia traversed by street car linss ar
steam railroads should. re says. be nshtsd
oy electricity, and Congress should h<
urged to appropriate money sufficiepr 10
meet the necessity.
He says the cost OF street lighting by
In future contracts be reduced % per cert
The question may be considered ne soa-
tinues. whether the present lighting w
lamps or high power placed at long dis
tances apart cannot profitably be char I'd
by substituting those OF less brillis nov
pisaed ss to iixhs more on onay Syher s,s ana 20
and the immediate portion of the dseply
shaded streets.
ODleCtlOns -
the establishment OF one thousand CO ndis
power lamps upon the sidewalks in mont
of residences. the principle objection btsng
1hss nons aSns inssc she months no s
light and become an intolsrsble nuisa nee
The ideal electric light for shaded Fest
oences o or business ,s,i Streets he thinks. d
walls and elevated from twenty TO twenty
nve feet above the center roadway. Ia Us
estimate for gas and oil lighting for the
VeQr IN nfafss slan
estimates that a total Of one hundred ana
seventy-four thousand dollars viii be nece--
sary.
Increased Appropriation Needed.
Continuing his report he says: Tue
large number OF Inhabited. but as yet un-
lighted courts and alleys OF the city ans ths
rapid Increase I'm population and exteri rision
@,,i o. the residence area of the Districr 81
Ior the establishment and maintenance ~
public gas and ell lamps imperative.
lamps no section of the city has been neg
lected but II has been the policy OF this
once. while keeping up with the rar'idly
extending street improvements also to i,or,-
plets the lighting OF such streets and Cye-
nues as We're before only partially supT lied
with lamps. so that many Of the older por-
lamps have been ordered to be esta bis he'd
ana await appropriations, which at pre sent
are insufficient for their erection and n ala
tenance.
Dependent Upon the Moon.
The law provides for but s.op hour~'
burning per snnum for gas and oil laml,s
and this time has. by careful adjuE trneIt.
month by month been SO extended s,s a
obtain the greatest advantage from tn.
light Of the moon. IL In to be regrefted that
city Of so much importance as the
rational capital and the center OF sueh
great interests and influence canno; haCs
the advantage of all night lighting and nj
be dependant upon the moon for a rsrt
OF its illumination, particularly as the in
crease in number OF lofty buildings ana
the deep shade excludes its light e,,o,n
many of the alleys and courts. and along
the streets and sidewalks
The use OF coil oil FOR street lieatinz. pur-
poses In future contracts should be disco.-
tinued and the latest Improved napht tha az
gasoline lamps substituted, as has bs<u
done In many OF the cities and towns OF the
United States"