Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-10
OVER A MILLION FOR LIGHTS.
THE ANNUAL COST OF ILLUNnNA-
TIoS IN PHILADELPHIA.
The People who Live in the city
of DrotherIy Love Appear TO he
More Extravaganza Than Anybody
Else in the Country.

Philadelphia. Penn, Jan. elf Phil
adelphia cannot rank first In point OF
population she can easily take first
place in the extravaganza OF her coun-
ellis. as illustrated In the cost of her
public lighting as compared with that
OF the other large cities of the country
Chicago, with all her Western push ana
energy, spends only about half as much
for lighting as this city. and In New
York 1t costs but little more than
half; while such cities as Boston, BATH
more and Pittsburg could be hghted
many times over for the cost Of lighting
this city for year.
Mayors Filter and Stuart. Directors
Wagner, Windrim and Better and Chief
Walker OF the electrical bureau, have all
repeatedly and in the strongest terms
urged the advantages Of the city owning
It's own electric light plant Councils
have turned deaf ear to all argu-
ments, however, and continued voting
away the money so reclSlessy to private
corporations, in which many Of the
members are interested, that last year
the cost of the electric lights alone was
nearly as much as the entire cost OF
public lighting in New York or Chi
cago, and greater than the entire cost
of lighting in any other city in the
Union. The total cost Of the pupIc
lighting in Chicago last year was sS42'-
200 and In New York S936.OOO, while in
this city over 100000 was spent Tor
electric lighting alone.
While the exact figures of all the var
ious departments for lighting IN thls
city last year have not yet been hnally
computed, enough is known to Tx the
amount of money actually eNpendeu at
at least 1920, 709.53, which does not m
clude the value OF the gas used in the
street lamps and in the various pubic
offices, which In other cities Is purchase
ed from private companies. The CON
sumption of gas during the year was
in round numbers 506,000,000 cubic feel
in the street lamps and lOO'VVV'uVO loi
other public lighting, which at a cos'
! of 81 per 1000 feet, would present q
value OF 100000, making the total cos
Of the public lighting for the yeal
81, 61G, 709.53.
, New York, with its vast network Of
streets, paid just $936,500 for its light
) ing, and Chicago with its enlarged ter
: ritory. spent only ssl2 200 for the SAM
2 purpose, divided as follows: Gas con
5 sumed and repairs S6l909S; oil ant
l kerosene. STA, l42; electric lights, $lOi.
g 446; signs for lamps. $i5i4. Boston Sc
t cures the lights for It's streets at tota
:, cost OF S545,2i5. which does not, how
I ever, include the lighting OF pneli
$ buildings. For the sum OF S3l5,i5o't
: Baltimore was well lighted, while II
. Pittsburg the total expenditures 10
i public lighting were only Sl99,sg5,90
n The following summary will show a
}, n glance the extravaganza of the PM
$ adelphia system of lighting compare
e with the other principal cities of tn
y country:
q Philadelphia ..Sl, vi IOO't
New GOrl.. ......-''.'..''''. Soo'oVV'S
n Chicago. .................... e4s'sVo'.
u Boston .....................'.' ot2'sde',
y Baltimore .......'....'''.'''' odo'doS''
u Pittsburg... .......'9''.' lo''''o
OF the enormous amount spent 10
IN lighting in this city last year S42O, 1904
"a represented the expenditures OF II
to bureau of lighting, which had to d
~ merely with the gas and gasolif
Nv lamps. The sum OF S214.114.I5 was pal
,s to the Pennsylvania Globe Gas Ligl
10 company for 1889 gasoline lamps
the rate of S2l per year; $i302,6 50 wa
&c paid to the Northern Liberties Ga
IA company for the city lamps In tina
u, district, and 500, 292l3 was eNpende
"a in the general operation of the burea
~ repairs, material, etc. For CONVEX
p fence the cost of the electric lighting
a. placed at $G0O,000, although the otllcli
10 figures will run somewhat higher. II
~ N. amount OF the appropriations for IL
az purpose footing up S624,376 The ave-
In age cost of each light per night we
IN 43.05 cents, against 42.43 cents IN ls9
or The balance of the great total of IN
- cost of lighting is made up Of the valu
IL on the gas consumed in the stree
lamps and public Institutions, which q
81 per 1000 feet. amounted to s6O6,OO
For the coming year the figures pre-
IN mise to far exceed those of the past, %
of tra vacant as they were. The appropr
IT, alton for electric lighting is ss50,OO
ig and for the bureau OF lighting Sil5,4s
'n making total cost OF s1,2s5,4sl. Undc
the bids recently received the averag
cost OF lighting the 1888 electric light
o. now located will be Al cents and fra'
he ton per light per night.