The Portland daily press., 1896-10-23


power all the time except about six
weeks"
An illustration of one appropriation
paying expenses which should be
charged to another may be shown in our
own city. In the maintainance of public
buildings the cost of lights in the public
buildings, amounting to about $4,000
will not be found.
From the 18th Annual Report Of the
Board OF Gas and Electric Light Com
missioners of the Common wealth of Mas
sachusetts for 1896 has been taken the
following data which relates to the cost
of constructing and operating lighting
system in four cities in that State which
have recently adopted municipal owner
ship. This data has been carefully col
leoted and is probably accurate.
In 1889 the cityof Dsnvers installed An
electric light plant equivalent to Sl-12Oo
candle power arc lights. The COST OF the
plant was SIG. 562. The Gas Commits
sioners gave the net cost of maintaining
the eiRhty-one public lamps in the city.
excluding interest, depreciation and
taxes rs So, 690.41. 10 that should be
added interest ON the net cost at per
cent, 1902. As; depreciation at 5 per
cent, 1928 10;taxes of two-thirds of valu-
alton at $40 per thousand, 1920. 80; max
Ing the total cost to the city for the
eighty-one lights IS, 401.81. These
lights were run on a moonlight schedule
20 nights per month until ! O'Clock a..
m., total 1892 hours per year, an aver
age of ST. hours per night and cost the
city sec. SO each for these lamps. If these
lamps had burned all night, and every
night, or an average of 81 hours per
night, the same as Portland, they would
have cost the city $3.50 each.
Ma1hlehead in October 1894, installed
plant equivalent to 337, $1,000 candle
power arc lights for public lighting and
for doing commercial lighting in the
cost to operate the above lights, after de-
dncting income from commercial lights,
was 81, 77.46; interest on the cost at 4
per cent, 50. 1922 CO.; depreciation at 5
per cent, So, 653.25; taxes Oh two-thirds
valuation at $50 per Thousand, S974.20 ;
total cost TO the city $40, 527 for 100 arc
lights These lights were run on moon
light schedule a5.7 nights per month un-
til O'Clock eaoh night, or an average
bnrn of So hours makings the cost to
the city s65.79. Had these lights run ev-
cry night from dusk until daylight. or
an average of 81 hours, the Same as
Portland, they would have cost the city
Of MaIblehead $134. 81 per light, after
deduotiDg all profit received by the city
from commercial lighting
The city of MarblebOro installed in 1894
M OiSOt4AS AiEsHoahS P@teio AoA NoAhOHsAS
and city lighting equivalent to 357 arc
lights of 1900 candle power. The plant
COST $50, 2al7. The net cost to operated
the city lights as given bv the Commits
sioners, after deduciing profit for COM
mercial lighting, $6,205 81; interest on
the cost at per can't, So, 2oS. IS; deprecia-
tion at per cent, 81. 010. SIS; taxes on
two-uhirds valuation 81, 1859. So: making q
total cost to the city, S14 1914. 45 for 165
lights of 1900 candle power. These lights
burned on moonlight schedule for seven
hours per night, average run of 26.t
nights per month, and cost $751; So. fad
the same lights burned 81 hours from
dusk until daylight, and every night the
same as i'll Portland. they would have
cost the city S139.6S each.
Tho city of Peabody ests blished a
plant in 1895 equivalent to 345 lights,
1900 candle power. The net cost to the
city to operate all its lights. less profit OF
comm ercial lighting was 81, 769.Sl; adj
ding interest on cost at 4 per cen t,
50. 345 96 and depreciation on cost at
per cent, So, 932. As; taxes on two-thirds
valuation, $7e1 So: total cost to the city
$13, $50. 81 for 100 arc lights. These lights
burned every night and all night from
dusk to daylight, an average of 81
hours, and cost the city 1920 each.
From the foregoing it will be seen that
the average cost to he oities after de-
Quoting the income from commercial
lighting was Sl29. 10 for each lamp oil
1900 candle power.
PURCHASE OF POWER.
The attention Of the committee has
been called to the cheapness of ths price
Of power which rhe city might purchase
and thereby maintain lighting system
of its own and the committee has asked
for proportions for this purpose. Offers
to fnrnish power for lighting have been
received and are here presented. They
are from parties owning or controlling
water power of several thousand horse
power situated within few miles Of the
city. The expedienoy Of utilizing water
power for lighting the city, where the
power must he brought from ten tic
twenty miles, having been questioned,
the committee has taken tho opinion OF
W. G. Johnson, member of the Ameri-
can Society of Civil Engineers, Civil
and Hydraulic Engineer, in which be
says:
1.-The TRANSMISSION of power by cleo
tricity for all equal CT greater distance
is now in successful operation at several
different places. The city of Sacramento,
Cal 'fornia, is lighted by electricity gen.
Grated by water power at distance of
more than twenty miles from the city.
Tho city Of Pomona is lighted by cleo
triciiy generated by water power thir-
teen anu three quarters miles distant and
the same power furu ished electricity for
lights at San Bernardino. twenty EIGHT
and three quarters miles from the power
station. The city Of Portland, Oregon,
is lighted By electricity generated by
water power at distance of fourteen
miles from the CITY,"
The communication of Frank Ridlon
Company raises point which heretofore
had not been considered by the commit
ties. The following letter win explain
itself:
Mr.. John I. Pagan. Chairman.
COMMITTEES on Lighting, Portland, Me-
My Dear Sir:-On receipt Of your favor
of Septein Der 18th. containing as it did
some very important questions, | have
felt 1t necessary to look very careful lily
into this matter of making you propo-
sition, and decided il was necessary for
me to make visit to Portland. In an
swer to your first question in your letter
Of September 25th, would say that do
not think my corporation possesses a