Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-11
Municipal VS.. Private Lighting.

Since the publication of my former arti-
cles on this subject, I have obtained some
further information that may be Of inter-
est to our citizens.
Electric Lights.-In order to enable the
public to understand something of the mean
ing of the technical terms used in this article
let me say, first, that the number Of the
candle power of arc lights used on the
streets is not an accurate statement OF the
amount Of light given by them.
The terms 1000 candle power. 1000 C. p.
etc, are what is termed the nominal candle
power of lights using a current of a GER
tain number of volts and a certain num-
Der of .'amperes," the term volts indicating
the volume of the current and amperes in
dicating the efficiency Of the current, which
may be either a large volume OF low in
tensity or a small volume of high intensity,
just as in water powers you may have a
large volume with a low head or a small
volume with high head. each exerting
the same pressure, and consequently hav-
ing the same efficiency.
The term watts is used to indicate the
horse power OF the current, and this is
obtained by multiplying the volts by the
amperes of any given current. ii6 watts
being equal to one horse power. A 1000
nominal C. p. arc light requires current
of 9 to 10 amperes and IS to so volts, or
about $50 watts. A 100 nominal C. p. arc
light requires a current Of to amperes
and 40 to As volts, or from go to $50 watts
These are the two sizes of arc lamps now
generally used for street lighting. The
reason why the actual light does not equal
the nominal C. p. is simply because in the
infancy Of the art there were no instru-
ments by which the actual candle power
lx< ,farafl nd
accurately measured. and to have some
standard they agreed that light produced
by certain number of watts should be
termed a nominal 1000 C. D., and that pro-
duced by q certain other number nominal
1000 c. D., etc Since then instruments have
been produced by which the candle power
can be accurately measured. but as the
present system has been generally adopted
it will probably be retained, notwithstand-
ing its deceptive character.
The actual light given by the nominal
2,OOO c. p. is about $50 to LOCO c.p, and that
Of the nominal LOO C. y. is about $50. As
our arc lights are by law only required to
be a nominal 1000 c. y. II will readily be
seen that in reality they furnish but about
625 C. p. of light, even II they are really
1000 nominal C. p. which may or may not
be the case
An engineer engaged in the business
writes me as follows:
1.-The cost of a nominal 900 C. p. light
over the cost of a nominal Loo =. n. is very
little; the friction of the dynamo is about
the same; the cost of llbor, cdrDous, etc,
the same. The additional cost is really
only the cost of fuel for about 40 per cent
more power and the interest on a small
addition to the plant"
In Massachusetts the legislature has es-
tablished a permanent board who make an
annual report to the legislature of all de-
tails in reference to both electric light and
gas companies. and who have the power to
regulate the prices which these companies
are permitted to charge the public-rais-
ing or reducing the price according to cir
CumSt3nceS.
In looking over their last annual report
1 find that the average price charged by
nineteen electric light companies for 1000
c. p. arc lights is Steps per annum. and
that includes Boston, where a portion CT
the wires are underground.
The average price charged by So other
companies for lights ranging from loo to
500 c. p. is SSo.e4.
These latter are mostly in the yillagaS
and smaller cities. But few of them paid
any dividend mainly because of the small
number of lights used and the extent of
territory over which the lines are extend
ed, one plant in several instances supplying
two or three neighboring villages. and of
course requiring miles of wire, with but
few lamps. In this, even more than in gas
lighting, the more compact the settlement
and the greater the number of lights the
cheaper II can be furnished.
Now, comparing with these our price
SlS2.50 for a nominal 1000 C. d. arc light per
aiihuiii, IL VIII De seen tnat the price paid
here is exorbitant, and fully confirms Can't
Derby's statements as given in his official
report.
AS to the policy of the District furnish
ing its own light there would seem to be
no room for question. The following state
ment from the Electrical World of May 90
1893. is directly in point:
"A committee of city officials Of Youngs-
town, Ohio. recently investigated the sub
5ect of municipal ownership of street light
ing plants, and found that there are al
least 10 cities in the United States that own
their own plants, or about per cent of the
entire number using the arc light In five
cases named the profit derived from the
saie Oh hght Tor commercial purposes (pri-
waite use) was sufficient to pay ali EXPENSES
connected with the street lights, and in Ali
cases the committee concluded that munici-
pal ownership was profitable"
November 9, 1893 W. DODcE