St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-29

ingston as saying that. the st. Paul
Gas Light company had had an oppor-
tunity to buy out the Smith & Taylor
electric light, whereas the only offers
to sell to the gas light company were
received from the Bohn Manufacture
ing company and from Mr.. Mickey,
Who represents the Albion plant in the
Seventh ward. It was also stated that
in case any lighting company were per-
initted to string wires overhead in the
district prohibited by the ordinance,
that the gas light company would begin
suit against the city for damages.
What Mr.. Livingston said was that,
in his opinion, the gas company, or any
other that had complied with the or
dinance, would have good grounds for
damage suit against the city in case
the council should repeal the ordinance
ordering the wires underground within
a certain district.
The board of public works manifested
no hesitation yesterday in replying to
the statement Of Mr.. Livingston. City
Engineer Rundlett, who acted with the
board in its investigation Of the light
ing question was called in and, after
brief conference, the following state
ments were authorized as proceeding
from the board and the city engineer,
constituting the committee appointed
by the Brady resolution:
I'm our report we did not raise the
question as to whether or not the city
was well lighted, but said that the
electric light arcs proposed would give
a far better light than gas. We cited
as a comparison between the two, Sew
enth street and Wabasha street, the
former lighted by electricity and the
latter by gas. Any citizen can test
this for himself by standing at the
corner of Seventh and Wabasha and
comparing the light on the two streets.
To make a comparison fair to the gas
company we should look westward on
Seventh street and northward on Wa
basha, as in looking in the opposite
directions, that is, east on Seventh
and south on Wabasha, the many COM
mercial lights would prevent a fair
comparison"
what does the board think of Mr..
Livingston's statement that $40 arcs
would be insufficient, to light the pres
ent gas district?''
1--WE based that estimate" was the
reply, ION our satisfactory experiment
on Seventh street. In our report we
propose to give the entire district
about the same amountsof light, pro-
portionately, that we do Seventh
street, though it really would not re-
quire as much; but as the arcs are
placed at all street intersections, 1t
could not be arranged to place less
than we have. II
'Mr. Livingston himself appeared
before the board about six weeks ago
with large map showing where arc
lamps should be placed, IL substituted
but making few less ares necessary
to displace the gas thans the commit
tee recommends. His calculation re-
quired only 4S0 arcs to displace the
3,031 gas lamps, while we recommend
$40 arcs"
What has the board to say Of Mr.
Livingston's statement that Minneap-
oils lights a district about the same
size as the committee proposes to light
with $40 arcs in st. Paul, with 686 arcs
and 4,036 gas lamps?"
IF Mr.. Livingston is correct in say
ing that ST. Paul is one of the best
lighted cities In the country with 3,031
gas lamps, then 1t would seem wanton
extravaganza to light the same area
in Minneapolis by using more than
LOCO more gas lamps and then add
ing to these 6S6 arc lamps.
Mr.. Livingston further says that by
reason Of our severe climate the gas
often freezes, and that the gas COM
pany last year expended $4,000 for
alcohol to thaw them out, that 1t re-
quireS larger force of men, and that
on account Of the topography of ST.
Paul it is more difficult and expensive
to maintain an equal pressure than
in a level city. We presume this is
SO, but may not this be a good reason
for substituting electric lights for gas
Lightning seems to run up and down
hills about as nimbly as on the level. u
What is the opinion Dof the board
as to the average cost per arc of cleo
trio lights of 1000 candle power in cities
owning their own plants? Mr. Living
ston thinks the estimates were alto
gether too low" fRe)
1.-THE board carefully Compared the
published reports of many cities, re-
jecting from the CALCULATIONS many
cities where the cost, was far less by
reason of their doing commercial work
lighting places Of business and resi-
dences and leasing power-and yet
finding the average as stated. Lest