Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-07
S ENSIBLE SUGGESTIONS
The Superintendent Of Lamps Wants the
Moon Schedule Abandoned.
He Recommends That All Electric,
Burn 3,S2S Hours n Year.

The annual report of the superintendent
of lamps was made public today. Under
the head of naphtka lighting he says In
making contracts for this style OF light
ing iii the future no reduction should be
made in the number of hours. In alleys
where it is always dark, whether the moon
is shining or not, naphtha lamps are Of
great benefit, since, under the present cir
cumstances, they can be burned longer
than gas, and every night as well. An in
crease in the number Of these lamps is
most urgently desired. Many of the alleys
in the city are without light. All the prin-
cfpal roads leading into Washington should
be lighted, and on these roads where there
are few lights the lighting should be ex-
tended to the District line. Many of the
suburbs have no lamps, notably Benning
Langdon, Ivy City and Twining City. All
these places should be lighted An addition
of $50 naphtha lamps would no more than
meet the present needs This system Of
lighting Is now very satisfactory, and can
be advantageously extended.
Gas Lighting Changes Suggested.
IAN importa 1T change should be made in
the number of hours of gas lighting, be-
ginning with the fiscal year 1897" says the
report 1.-The present schedule of 1900
hours should be abandoned. and the moon
not be relied upon to furnish any portion
Of the light for the city. The number Of
hours of total darkness during the year
from the beginning of twilight in the even
ing to the beginning of twilight In the
morning is alone 3,116. AS all the lamps
should burn at least one hour each night
in addition, and as another hour each night
is allowed the gas companies for lighting,
making a total of 3,S46 hours an uncertain
twilight and an unreliable moon are called
upon to furnish approximately $50 hours of
lighting an average of II hours per month.
1t Is a matter of the greatest difficulty to
SO use the moon that the 5000 hours re-
quired by Congress may not be exceeded.
Even on the brightest moonlight nights
many of the streets are in absolute dark
ress, the dense heavy foliage of the trees
completely overshadowing the streets. In
the pOpulouS and dangerous alleys, too,
where gas lamps are used, and into which
the moon only shines when about on the
meridian, the darkness is intense. l would
recommend that uniform schedule of
3,S2S hours per annum be adopted for all
kinds of Iightfng-naphtha, gas and cleo
trc. In many of the suburbs improve
ments are going on rapidly, but there are
not sufficient funds for establishing new
lights. A few will be put up during the
hext fiscal year where they are absolutely
needed, but in order to do so the lights in
other parts of the City will have to be dis
continued. There are locations throughout
the city and in the suburbs where fully
$50 new gas lamps are absolutely needed"
1t is intended to discontinue twenty -four
gas lamps on the north side of Penrsyl-
yania avenue betweens2d and 18th streets
southeast, and one on 18th street near
PENNSYLVANIA avenue. There are thirteen
electric lights on the south side of the
avenue between the streets named, which
are sufficient to light up the avenue. To
make up the 1000 naphtha lamps, there be
ing but SGS under the former contract 1t
will be necessary to change at least H.
gas lamps to naphtha. These lamps will
be taken from the Biadensburg road, from
the outlying sections of the city and from
the alleys To meet the pressing demand
for lights in localities, every other naphtha
| lamp on Benning road will be discontinued
and erected elsewhere rs needed. Discon-
tinuing the above mentioned gas lamps on
Pennsylvania avenue will enable the de-
partment to erect new gas lamps in a few
sections where improvements are going on
rapidly and lights are necessary.