The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-06
ELECTRIC LIGHTS AND TREES.
a Belief That the Lights shorten the
Lie of TreeS.


There was meeting of the Park and
Tree Commission yesterday afternoon in
the Office Of the tax assessors, held for the
purpose Of taking action In accordance
with a recent resolution of Council pro
viding for the Improvement of the drain
age of a portion Of Laurel Grove cemetery.
The commissioners discussed the mat
ter and decided to advertise for bids for
this drainage work at once. The con-
tract Will be let as soon as the bids are
opened.
Inc commissioners have also been dis
cussing the effect of attaching electric
wires to trees. There is no doubt in their
MINDS that this has a deleterious effect.
mere nave been many wires attached 70
trees IN different parts Of the city, but the
commission recently stopped this Up 10
a snort time ago it DID not have that au-
tnority, but with the extension of its au
thority, rule to that effect was passed.
Inc commissioners intend now to see
tnat all the electric wires are removed
from The trees They VIII have the work
zone gradually so as nor to Cypress the
companies owning the wires but in the
course Of reasonable time, expect to have
the trees entirely clear of wires. The
commissioners believe that the wires hurt
the trees, especially in wet and damp
weather, because a current is then easily
created, and its effect upon foliage is GER
tainly not good
Vice Chairman George ]. Baldwin of
the commission was asked if there was
any deIeterious effect upon trees from the
electric lights around The city.
Know that The trees are affected by
the wires which are attached to them"
he said, "but whether the lights them
sgiVes affect them or not, 1 cannot say.
That is somewhat mooted question. 1t
may De true, but nothing definite is known
about it at present, and even if it did we
could hardly remedy the difficulty. We
cannot do away with the lights, and it
would be pretty difficult matter to To-
cate them out of the way of the trees"
Commissioner c. s. Fills was of sim
liar opinion. He said he had not noticed
mat any of the trees had been hurt in any
way by the electric lights and hardly
thought 1t probable. 1t is true that cleo
arc lights have been used to force plant
growth and that such growth is not as
strong as the natural growth but he did
not consider that the trees had been ma
terially affected by the lights.
1t is said to be a fact that some of the
trees along Bull street show signs of de
cay where most exposed TO electric lights.
though a thorough examination for the
purpose OF determining whether this is due
70 the lights has not been made. Obser-
Ndtions on the subject have been made in
some of the Northern cities, and it is said
70 nave been noticed almost invariably
that the portion of the tree most exposed
10 the electric light begins to wither and
die, the destruction progressing gradual
~ down the tree
The idea is that plant life, like animal
NE, needs sleep and rest. and It's needs
the darkness of the night for this purpose
Science has-developed the fact that light
and darkness have decided effects on nl5nt
life, and it is believed by many that trees
as Wen as other plants need a period of
rest an darkness. If it We're discovered
that the electric lights do have this effect
and are killing the trees. the next question
TO arise would be as to what can be done
about It, The city cannot do without
lghts, and it would be hard to provide INV
arrangement Of them that would keep
them out of the way of the trees.