The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-08
ELECTRIC STREET LIGHTS.
Development of System Since Adopt
ion In This City Thirteen Years Ago.

An ordinance was adopted in the City
Council yesterday making q new contract
between the city and the Narragansett
Electric Lighting Company, for five year,
increasing the number - arc lights to
1900, and fixing the price per light at 80
cents night.
The history of street Illumination by
electricity In this city dates back to 1882.
In July OF that year the City Council
passed joint resolution authorizing the
committee on lamps to contract for ten
arc lamps for six months, the
price per night allowed for each
being So cents. II was an experiment and
"Great Bridge" and Westminster street
got the benefit of IL. People went up
street evenings to see the row OF 10 blue
lights extending from Market square to
Greene street, just as they would go TO
Crawford street bridge on the night OF
the Fourth TO see the fireworks.
The experiment was successful. Oppo-
sition I'm the Council that the innovation
had first met with ceased, and in 1888 the
number OF lamps was increased TO 90, and
the price for each was reduced To 20 cents
a night. The contract for the first two
years was with the Rhode Island Electric
Lighting Company.
But i'm 1884 the American Electrical
X Illuminating Company was established
and entered into competition. More
lights were authorized and bids asked for.
The price named by the Rhode Island
Company was 5S cents while the new con-
Germ bid three cents lower and
got the contract, which expired April 10,
1885. That year the total number of cleo
trio lamps was 125, and they were fur
nished by the Narragansett Company at
the lowest price ever secured by the city,
SO cents per light.
In 1856, so more lights were ordered,
making total OF 175. Eighty-seven Of
these were furnished by the Narragan-
sett Company, and IS by the Rhode Island
Company, each concern charging 80 cents
night.
In 1887 the joint committee on lamps
was auth horized TO increase the mum ber of
lamps at its own discretion and $4,000
was appropriated for that purpose. Sixty
lights were adaed that year at the same
price as those OF 1886 aud the contract
was again evenly divided between the
two companies.
After that the electric system of street
lighting was rapidly developed and
adopted for the residential portions of
the city as well as for the usiness thor
oug ghfares. There were 236 lamps in 1883,
3O2 in the following year, the price still
being 80 cents.
In 1890 there were $50 lamps, and the
cost TO the city for each lamp had been
reduced to 40 cents. During he next two
years lamps were asked for and granted
all over the city. New circuits were
established until in 1898 there
were 1919 lamps in the city
and the price for each had been fixed by
arbitration at 3s1 cents per night. Forty
Ave of these were at Roger Williams Park
and in consideration of the fact that they
were extinguished at midnight the city
was only obliged by the contract to pay
for 1900 lamps.
The late IT legislation whereby 500 more
lamps are ordered and the price is reduced
by 81 cents is the result of the rapid
growth of the city in the outlying sections
and OF the continued petitions for better
illumination that have been received In
the last 12 months.
The electric system was adopted during
the administration of Superintendent
Samuel b. Swan. He was succeeded in
1890 by the present superintendent Of
lights, Oliver T.. Greene.