The Portland daily press., 1897-03-25
LIGHTING AMERICAN CITIES.
1t Costs q Good Deal More to Keep the
Streets Lighted Than Might Be Sup
posed.

The cost of street lighting IN New
York city for the year 1897 will be in ex-
Tess of 81, $50 600. The sreoifio appropria-
tion for this item is 81, 1922, s21, to which
are to be added sundries, which will
probably bring it up to the total named.
Philadelphia spends even more than does
the city of New York in year for ligh t.
Ing its streets and alleyways, the total
expense being 1920. 900 for gas and S647, :
900 this year for electricity. These items
collectively do not foot up to SO much as
New York pays, but while New York
gets its supply Of gas from seven differ
emit companies, and it's electricity for
lighting frontier different companies,
Philadelphia owns Its own gas plant, land
since 1866 has had entire control of it.
To tns money actually disbursed for gas
therefore, must be added in the case Of
Philadelphia reasonable interest upon
the original Investment and some &C
count unjust be made of the public
property used for the works.
Chicago expends in year $425, 900 for
gas lamps which illumine with indis-
tinctness some of her streets, the major
portions Of which are unpaved roads
separated from the buildings which front
them by wooden sidewalks resting In the
mud. Boston is an American city,
which, In proportion to its population
and area, makes generous provision for
public illumination. Boston spends in
year $3.50, 900 for gas aud $4,000 for
electric lighting, total of $500, 900, the
extent of which may be best understood
by comparison with the expenditures for
the like purpose in Baltimore, CITY of
the same population, practically. land of
. about the same area. Baltimore spends
ina year $500, 600 for gas and $40. 600
for electric current. Cincinnati spends in
q year $500, 900 Ior gas and $50, 600, for
electric lighting. The area OF Ctnoin-
natl is about the same as that of Boston,
and about half of the present area of
New York, Wakefield and the Bronx
Valley. villages included. 1t is fact,
nOtsknown 20 some of the most Jealous
and ardent of the flood Government Club
reformers, that the annexed villages on
the Bronx are lighted with neither gas
nor electricity, but with naphtha lamps.
These lamps are not expensive; neither
la the naphtha used in them, but the
distance between lamps is such that the
travelling expenses or mileage of those
intrusted with the task of communicate
ing 1ame to the wioks is considerable
item of expense San Francisco expends
in year $500, 600 for public .illulnina-
ton. both gas and electricity, and ST.
Louis a like am cunt. In ittSburgh the
advantages of natural gas have been util-
ICED of te.years, and the expense for
public illumination is $3.50, 600. In Brook
Ign. it Is $500, 000-S160, 600 for gas and
$3.50, 600 for electric current. Washing
ton. the local affairs of which are under
control of the Federal Government and
subject to acts of Congress, spends In a
year for electric lighting 1916, 900. St.
Paul. Mimi, expends as much and New
Orleans 1926. 600. Two American cities
which show a distinct Partially for cleo
tricity as means of public illumination
are Denver andzDetroit, and there are.
practically, no cities which have not
utilized, to some extent. tbs benefits of
electricity. Buffalo expends In a year
$500. 900 for purposes of ILLUMINATION, and
as the area Of the city is small it should
be ons of tine best lighted of America
cities. York Sun.