The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-07-12
TALKED OF At CITY HALL.
Now Over Seven Hundred Electric
Lights 10. Use Here.
TOTAL NUMBER WILL Be 1900.
Company Has Not Broken
Contract-City Responsible for Delay
by not Giving Locations for Poles
Earlier-Gas and fluid Lamps.

No time has yet been tfixed for the sit
ting of the arbitrators who are to fix the
price which the city will pay the Nara
Ransott company for electric street
lights. City Solicitor Colwell said this
morning that so far as he was advised
at present the hearing would not be held
until the first week in August
The city has now in use 718 electric
lamps, and others are being auded from
day to dav. The whole number called
for under the orders of the city conncil
Is l, 800 and IL is expected they will be
ready before October l. IL is claimed by
some that the Nara yansett COMPANY mas
broken It's contract with the city. IL
seems that Under this contract the Mar
ragansett company was to have the
lights in readiness for use on April 2S.
but did not do so, nor nave they done
yet.
On the other hand the company claims
il has not broken its contract. The delay
in furnishing the lights at the time specl-
fed was not due to its neglect but to the
failure of the city to give it locations for
it's poles in time. Locations were not
fixed until about-ApriI LIST aud after that
the poles had to be erected. This oper-
alton occupied considerable time. After
the poles hal been set measurement mad
to be made for the arms which carry the
lamDs. Tuese vary in lenght according
to the location aud width Of the street
and the order for them could noC be
made until the poles were In place. For
this reason the NarragapsetJ company
says it has used due diligence and that
the responsibility FOR the dslay resls ith
the city in not giving locations Tor the
poles earlier.
1t is not probable, however that there
will be any difficulty between the city
and the Narragaus .tt company. A large
force of men is at work putting up new
lights as rapidly n possible aud nothing
would he gained py litigation as to
whether or not the contract had been
broken.
Gas Still to the Froat
Although electricity Is becoming the
favorite for street illumination. gas still
holds the lead as to the number Of lamps
in use. At the present time there are
2109 of these lights In use
which cost annually abos. $50 900
It is not probable that ele, SIcity will
ever entirely displace gas. at least not for
half n century. Electricity is much more
expensive than gas aud there are some
WHO favor the use Of the latter exclusive
ly in residential parts OF the city.
The superintendent OF lights said 10.
day that he. thought residential
streets could be more economically
lighted by gas than by electricity. 1t is
essential that the business portion OF the
city, where there are banking
houses and stores aud warehouse
with valuable contents. should be
illuminated by electricity. but Ia dis riots
used exclusively for residential purposes
gas would be preferable for several rea-
sons, chief among wuich would be the
smaller expense involved.
Complaint against gas lamps arises
from the fact that they are placed too far
apart. Were they nearer aud each lamp
fitted with four foot burners, IL is be-
lived more satisfactory results would be
obtained. But the people evidently
want the electrics, for the superintendent
says that IL ali the petitions for them al
ready received were granted the total
would be fully two thousand.
Fluid Lamps stin Used.
Although IL is "A standing rule that
when the Providence Gas company lays
mains in new street the thoroughfare
must be lighted by gas, fluid and
naptha lamps still furnish very re-
spectacle portion of tho outside illumi-
nation.
There are now In use about 1,s00 naph-
tha and gasoIene lamps. The former
cost s13 year for each light and tue lat
ter SO per light Per anDum. A Boston
concern has the contract to furnish the
gasoline lamps, about 800 In all They
supply the material for the light and nj SO
deiray the expense Of lighting, for which
they receive six cents lamp per night.
There are now In the employ OF the
department 50 lamplighters and the
number will be decreased from time to
-. IL Al. I...As