The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-11-22
HISTORY OF OUR ELECTRIC LIGHT.


Before the fall of 1889 our streets were
not lighted with any kline Of light. In
the winter OF that year the city council
took the first step towards electric street
lighting. After reasonable assurance
that lC0-16 G. 2. lamps would not cost to
exceed $4,000 g committee was appointed.
which made d tour of Inspection After
visiting different plants, consulted with
q number Of experts they unanimously
/ recommended the incandescent street
lamps IN preference to ali others, and
tina the low tension would be the safest.
/ Proposals were then invited on the
! following conditions lowest year
/ iy rental for l34 street lamps, the high
/ est maximum to be charged for private
I lighting. The successful bidder to have
/ a franchise OF which years should be
1 exclusive, ard after years the city
/ should have the right TO buy the plant,
II the city should conclude 10 operate its
/ own plant, at the cost price, less reason
/ able wear and tear. On this bids were
l received as follows:
/ Excelsior Co. CoIcagc, 100000: Water
| Works Go. 10000; Bartlett Il Walker,
! 2,35L00; John Schuette, $4,000. The
| maximum 10 be charged for private light
ing the Water Works Co bid was 115cts.
per lamp per hour; Excelsior Co. bid was
1c. per lampe per hour; Bartlett i Wal
kers bid was I y mills per lamp per hour;
John Scbuettes bid was 6 mills peT lamp
! Der hour So that ny bid was about one
half OF the other average bids and was
| accepted, bat as there was no time 10 the
proposals nor bid given for how many
years the street lighting should run, this
had to be settled. as the construction Of
the street system would cost more than
the rental received from this source for a
term OF > years, l insisted that IL ought
to be at least 10 years, because If after .
years some other system should be
adopted, all this investment would be
| Yalueless.
After long wrapgle | suggested that
the city should readvertIse and have the
term for street lighting therein express
ed. Ghis was objected to by the city.
) and to end the matter satisfactorily, L
reluctantly signed the contract. Then
| visited many plants 10 this state and
Illinois, consulted with high tension and
low tension advocates, each holding firm
= " that his particular system was the best
then consulted with independent ex-
peTts, being connected with no partIcu-
= lar system and after due deliberatiOD
concluded that the Edison low tension
system should be adopted, although at
first a little mora expensive, 1t would IL
] the end be the cheapest aud. an Impor-
tant factor; absolutely safe.
The plant was completed and accept
ed on Oct. %, 1889, has now been in
] operation five years, running every night
and all night, and during all the time il
= had but four Interruptions, lasting on al
{ average less than one-half an hour each
time, "a record of reliability, not TO ny
knowledge excelIed, nor DO | know oil
any plants under ike condition produc
ing the light as cheaply nor selling it as
low as Is done here.
The franchise allowed me to charge
+ $500 per lamp installed for which !
2 charged nothing till the time the plant
was completed. 1t allowed me TO cdarg;
for lamp renewals, which cost me $2,30l
, per year, for which [ charged nothing
. my fFachlse allowed me to charge 6 mill!
per lamp per hour, and We did not re
csiya quite , mills on an average, Fo
5 Ill new constructions on which many
10 plants derive quite profit, we intended
! dong this at cost, but each year was
short on this account. We only men
tlon this TO show that we have not acted
d Ike grasplug mOuOpolIsJs.
Ia the last electric convention where
. / related the doiDgs of orr plant, giving
the expense and low price OF light anc
l / still bearing Us a fair rate OF interest OF
I investments, most OF those present coulC
. not understand how this was done. but
| when they heard that it was braced III
= with Il -four mill on one side and a plaster
/ nill on the other, they saw the point.
o. Now the contract for street lighting
has expired. The city can now buy tht
. plant as per franchise that IS, at actua
D cost Price less reasonable wear and teal
= or make a new contract for it's street
| lighting. The committee which was ap
pointed to investigate the matter ha!
0 engaged an electrical expert ia Chicago
= who visited the city for inspection anC
consultation, and was ordered to care
fully consider which would be for the
t best interest of the city TO adopt, anC
D | make a report, which Is now on file in the
, city office. He recommends that the city
should not build plant, mainly for the
reason that our plant can easily provide
all the light required and cheaper thar
two could. He recommends that the
alternating high tension system would
De more desirable and advises that the
! city contract with the q. L. Co. at {
reasonable rate for 214 - G. z. lamps tc
be hung across the crossings of streets
2 (iDstead Of l57 is and q c. P. lamps as
4 are now oG poles)
The Z, Il. &c. has made the following
proposition to the city for 200 Or any
other number OF IS e. 2. lamps at IS. 0(
, and for 81 G. p. $500 per lamp per year
for all hung over the street S100 pei
lamp extra. The old price was for IS G.
z. SO 90, 24 G. 2. $500.
With nay five years Of electrical expert
ence / would, as far as our present light.
ing extends, adopt the same low tension
Edison system, If building a new plant
but if greater distances should have to
be reached, the alternating system for
street system might be more practical. as
recommended by the expert Mr.. Harvey
engaged by the city, and could easily be
added If preferred.
JOIN SCHUrrrE.
WISCONSIN, WEATHER SERVICE,