Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-29
The Cost of Municipal Lighting.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Your editorial note and the communications
subsequently published signed Nv. c. Dodge"
and *, on the subject of electric street light
ing by plants owned and operated by munich
palities, call for little further attention.
Within the last week 1 received a letter in
which the following occurs: 1.-The reader who
hastily looks over his paper for news glances
at an item appearing to give statistical infor-
nation and lays his paper down with an in
correct idea Matched in his mind, if the sta
tistics are not reliable or self-explanatory, when
his better judgment after careful study and
investigation Of the subject, would prevent him
from accepting the error" l do not know
what list Mr.. Dodge had before him to the
figures from which he SO unhesitatingly gives
currency. but do know that he betrays his
utter inability to deal with the problem when
he asserts that "cande power is the standard
unit OF measurement" for lighting by electric
arc lamps. Prof. Elihu Thomson said in q
paper read before the National Electric Light
Association, Providence. R. l., February, 1891:
1.-THE term 1000 cande-power arc has little
significance in indicating the illuminating
power of the arc. 1t is now generally taken to
mean an arc with 10 amperes and not less than
45 volts potential between the carbons, or $50
Watt arc. The quality of the carbons will de-
termine whether the $50 Watts will be expended
in obtaining the most light or not, or whether
the light will have maximum intensity at one
angle or another within certain limits" In
the schedules Of tho eleventh census, prepared
for the Electrical Industries" the term can
dle-power" is nowhere used in connection with
the arc lamp. The service rendered is invaria-
bly, designated by the current required de-
termined by tine volts and amperes necessary to
operate the lamp. Now for the figures:
have before me the official ''re-
port Of the electric light committee of
the town Of Peabody, Mass, February
10, 1888" This report covers the months of
September, October. November and December,
1892, and January. 1888. The plant was oper-
ated only SO 1-6 hours IN the month OF Septem-
Der, therefore the figures for that month should
not be considered. l will give the figures for
one item: paid for sundry materials-Octo-
Der, s125S; November. S16.08; December
S26.17 January. S36.97.'' At this ratio of in
crease what will be the amount Of expense for
this item at the end of the year? Is not this
sufficient evidence to justify careful person in
waiting for the returns for full year before CIV
ing currency to the statement that 1.-THE lamps in
Peabody are 200 candle power. and will cost for
the entire year, everything included, So. ~?
According to the official statement the Peabody
plant cost S43,176.92, of which 81 $50 was
for land. In the statement "cost Of lighting"
depreciation is estimated at 10 per cent on
$50, 060.N In report Of 1.-The Cost of
Municipal Electrical Lighting at Topeka. Kan.."
published in the Electrical Engineer for April
IL. 1888, the cost OF repairs Tor 80 months is
shown to be Si,S47.57, which is s. 90 per cent
of the total expense for the entire tiIae covered
by the report. This is, almost double the
estimate given in The Peabody report Is it
not little better to take the experience of 3s
months than the inexperience of months as a
basis of calculation? The plant at Topeka,
Kan, is owned ind operated by the city
If Mr.. "X' will read an article In the Elec-
trcal Engineer for March 80, 1893, by Mr.. Ho-
ratio A. Foster on ''Street Lighting by Private
Versus Municipal Plants" he will get more
light on the figures given by Mr.. Robert ].
Finley in the Review of Reviews for February
By simply taking the figures given by Mr..
Finley and reducing the cost to lamp hours
Mr.. Foster is able to give the following
comparative table. Cities and towns in the
same state are compared. The first column
shows the cost per lamp per hour for municipal
plants and the second column the price per
lamp per hour where lighting is done by pri-
Yate nlanta.