Evening star., 1897-04-30
STREET LIGHTING BIDS
Their Opening Occasions Surprise Among
Those Attending.
The United States Underbids the Rival
Company II . Stipulation Pro-
posed Is Agreed To.

This was the day set aside by the Com
missioners for the opening of bids for light
Ing the streets. avenues and alleys of the
city for the next fiscal year. A goodly num-
Der or interested bidders were present, and
participated In the big surprise sprung by
the United States Electric Lighting Com
pany In outbidding its rival, the Potomac
Electric Company. for lighting the city by
electricity, and going into the field occu-
pied by the latter company and Offering to
light the lamps lighted by 1t at a much re-
dIced price. This last bid, however, being
contingent upon the grant by the Commits
sioners to the United States Electric Light
ing Company of the right to occupy and
use the duct set aside in the conduit of the
Potomac Electric Company for the use of
the District.
Proceedings of the Board.
Fhe board met promptly at noon, and
Chairman Lakenan opened the proceedings
by reading the advertisement setting forth
the purpose of the Commissioners to award
contract for lighting the city.
The first bid opened was that of the
washington Lighting Company, and was
.or I,Uo naphtha lamps, which it agreed
10 durnish at 1880 per lamp per annum.
The Pennsylvania Globe Comnanv a1so
submitted bid Of $50 per lamp per annum
LOT 900 lamps to be lighted by nanhtha
ootn gas companies bid, but they were
mum. P Pei ah-
Next came the bid for incandescent light
neg, the only bid received being from the
totomac t;S m, Electric Power Company, which
oiu S@o per lamp per annum There are
OF ly small number of these lamns in CO..
VICE, ana they are west of Rock Creek
oeme one remarked that the Potomac
company was going to have a walkover,
h,, huu IN inns remark seemed to be strengthened
oy the reading of the next bid, which was
also from the Potomac company. nv which
IT agreed to light ali existing Iamns cost
Oh rock Creek at 25 cents per lamp per
nat naii. ana 90 the same with those lamps
ives! OF Rcck creek. This was low bid
and those who remembered The fight ~
iast year between the rival companies pre-
dlcted more hostilities.
The Surprise Comes,
linen came the surprise. President
INC mas sat at one end of the room. wear
ing a self-satisfied smile when the bid
OF MS company. the United States Electric
company. was opened. The first sentence
Oh OF the DID was a bomb He agreed to
Agbt all existing electric lamps in the citv
of Washington at s91 % per annum' Tho
next proposal carried him into the camp
or the enemy across Rock creek. Here
ne proposed to light the streets now Lighted
by arc lamps. in which the United States
per year, and to put up and maintain the
twenty-four additional arc lamps now light
ed by the Potomac company for SO per
lamp per annum.
The next bid tina: he submitted was char
acter1zed by one of the bidders as "a neryy
Did He mentioned in detail all the lamps
now lighted and maintained by the Poto-
mac Electric Power Company cast of Rock
creek, and agreed to lignt them for $40
per year each The bid Of the Potomac
Company Is % cents per lamp per year for
these lamps, which amounts to SOL % per
annum. difference in favor of the United
States Company of S71.25.
Clause That Promises Contest.
There is stipulation. however, attached
to this bid. over which there promises to
be wordy war. President Thomas says
in ending:
That the Commissioners of the District
OF Columbia shall furnish to the United
States Electric Lighting Company duet
room free of charge in the conduits now
laid by the Potomac Electric Power Com
paDy, and which are understood by the
United States Electric Lighting Company
to be under control of the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia and reserved
in certain contract with the Potomac
Electric Power Company for the Use of
the District Of Columbia for the placing
therein Of any electric cable to be used for
public service"