The Portland daily press., 1899-10-18

Yesterday noon the following COM
munication was s,nt by the Consolidated
Electric Light company % the city au-
thoritios:
Committee on Lights,
City Of Portland, Me.
Gentlemen:-
We are In receipt OF your favor OF the
18th asking for O price at which this
city on the south side OF Congress st.
until such time as the Portland Electric
Light 90. are prepaid to do the same.
We have carefully considered the same
and while We are willing to do anything
Yen desire there are difficulties In our
lighting one-half the city which will he ut
once recognized by any one familiar with
electricity and electric lighting, but
which is not known by the general pub
lilo. In lighting the city the wires are
run In circles CT loops on each of which
are certain number OF lamps. Of thsse
loops we run twelve from our station.
many Of which cross Co1grefs street, and
have lamps both north and south Of that
street. Thee loops are connected at the
station with generators which are made
TO take care OF q given numbar Of lights.
When this number is increased or de-
creasei to any extent the regulation Is
poor ana results are bad. and should you
aooAC8EC bHoIl Oub~uoltf b4c koustatoEo 1t
onve becom ovsr-heatsd and burn ont.
As our arc circuits run, should we out
out the lamps on thesnorth side Of Con-
grese street and stars our works, ONE half
of our dynamss would be destroyed In
fifteen minutes. Now this can all be OBJ.
Waited by running new circuits, but this
takes time ami 10 great expense which
temporary work, say months lighting,
would have to be paid by the city. TAX
Ing these conditions into consideration
we do not deem 1t advisable for ourselves
or for the city financially that we should
bid for lighting half the city. We think
the only satisfactory arrangement would
be, and we ara willing to light the whole
city from November LIST at tine same prics
per lamp hour that We are now receiving.
We call your attention to the term
lamp hour, as we wish there should be
no misunderstanding. As is well known
the lamps ara burned diffcrent numbers
OF hours according to the season, varying
from seven and ons quarter hours IN June
to thirseen and three quarters In Decem-
Der IL would therefore be manifestly
unfair to expect to pay for one month
lighting ths same price for December as
June. We find by oursrecord that the arc
lamps have burned during this past twelve
months three tho1ssnd nine hundred and
q, 800 } hours, which would
make the price We have received two aud
forty-two one hundredths cents .0242)
per lamp hoRr.
We understand the City Council have
extended the time forSthe Portland Elec-
trio Light Co. to commence their service
three weeks, which would make 1t the
latter part OF November.
We make you the following proposition:
We will light the whole city with the
arc lights as now established from the
expiration Of our present contract, Ooto-
Der 3ist, 1899. to the first day of Deem
Der, 1899. at Two and Forty.Two One
Hun irsdths .0242) cents per lamp hour.
All inoandescent series lamps burned to
De in same proT ortion, 1t being under
sood that should the new service be es-
tablishsd and prepared to do the lighting
at any time during this period, the city
shall have the right to cancel this con-
tract from that time.
Very respectfully yours,
Consolidated Electric Light Co, of
GEnRGE r. RAVMONQ