The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-07-13
wEssAoA STREET LieHTNa co.
Want 20 light the Streets OF Portland.

Frederick P. Morrill,, ESQ, general
manager OF the Weisbach Street Lighting
company Of Philadelphia, has been in cor
reapondence with the committee OIL street.
lfghts with @ view of contracting to
light the residential portions Of the city
Big means of the Welsbach burners. The
Welsbach burners are similar to those
ussd in house lighting. They ressn BILE
tbs gas lights now III use in many OF the
stores of the city. The essential part Of
the lighs is the mantle which Is made
By saturating vegetable fiber in a
solution of the oxid es of the rare earths.
The mantel5 then formed and the hber
burned cut. after which it is hardened
and otherwise treated TO render it sufi-
ciently hard to be transported. In use
tie mantle is suspended over a Bunsen
burner, which heats it to incandescenue,
and upon the consumption Of about three
feet Of gas, gives from 60 to 20 candle
power. In the successful application Of
the Welsbaoh burner for street lighting
several obstacles were met and overcome.
The mantles were liable to destruction
by insects, wind storms, and by the ex-
cessive vibration of the lamp-posts due
to heavy trafio. Since the invention Of
devices to prevent the destruction of the
raantle, many OF the largest cities, in
GLIDING New York, Brooklyn, Philadei-
phia and others, have contracted with
this company to furnish light.
The committee on lights will, no doubt.
40 esiT eyb hi hi
of lighting one OF our residential streets
and request the public to expTess their
views. Mr.. Morrill, claims that by tbs
uss of the Welsbaoh burner our Tesiden-
uiaI streets can be much better lighted
than by the use Of the arc OF inoandes-
cant lights. st is fact, " says he, "that
has been fully demonstrated that, in at
tempting to distribute evenly from few
points of great amount OF illumination,
a very large percentage Of the light is
actually wasted, and it is OF no use
whatever where it is most commonly
needed; that is, at or near the ground.
The arc electric light of 1000 candle
power, it must be remembered, actually
gives a light Of considerably less than
elf that power. If, however. chat arch
light actually gave the candle power
claimed for 1t, it has been demonstrated
that, suspended aa they usually are at a
considerable distance from the street, they
only equal in efficiency gas flame OF
lower oendle-power nearer the ground.
4 serious objection 60 this system OF
distributing illumination, and one more
readily appreciated is that in passing
along a thoroughfare lighted in this
manner the eye cannot adjust readily to
the great difference between tlum1na-
tion at or near the electric light and the
comparative darkness midway between
them. The effect is that the darkness is
accumulated, and all shadows of trees,
cornsrs, recesses of buildings ETC., are
greatly intensified"
To produce the best effect IN street
lighting Ky the use Of the Welsbach
burner the lights should be about 10
fest apart It is the intention Of the
committee to give the Welsbaqh company
an invitation to exhibit their system Of
lighting about the first Of August. By
the use of these lights the unsightly
wires and poles are done away with.
The company claims their light to be
better and cheaper than any other used
giving the same servioe.