The times., 1899-12-06
LIGHTING OF STREETS.
Country Roads and Lanes Without
Proper Illumination.


One Of the branches of our municipal
government which interest a very large
number Of people is that Of street lighting.
This is a most interesting problem and Tor
the successful carrying out of which now
needs only one thing In round
numbers, $235 500 is spent for lighting the
District. OF this amount S63. 600 is spent
for arc lighting in the central part of the
city, $500 for incandescent lighting in
lexington. Tenleytown, the Aqueduct
Bridge, and Chain Bridge Sl37 800 for gas
lamps; $50 0G0 for naphtha lights. These
naphtha lights are used in such sections Of
the city and county as are not provided
with gas mains The light is fairly good
and is the best that can Ss-provided where
there are neither electric wires nor gas
mains. 1t is not at all settled ia the Opin-
ion of many people that the are light of
1000 candlepOwer, such as we now have.
is the best system even Of arc lighting
Where the streets are partly business and
partly residential the presence OF arc lights
in front of residences is exceedingly try
ing 20 many persons in the houses. and IL
is COntended that the larger number Of
lamps. with less individual candle power
would be the better system Of lighting.
Congress having made provision and al
lOWance for experimental lighting. the
money was used in equipping posts with
Welsbach burners. These lamps have
been placed as far as possible on the lines
of the street railroads, especially those ex-
tending out into the suburbs. Attention is
especially invited to these lamps, as il is
believed that they are the best that can be
had. The cost OF maintaining a Welsbach
lamp is $50 per year while the cost of the
ordinary gas lamp is $50. the difference be-
ing principally in the expense OF maintain
ing the burner II is thought that the diff
ference in the quality Of the lights is well
worth the difference In the cost, and the
Commissioners would be glad to substitute
these Welsbach burners for all the ordi-
nary burners did funds permit, but this is
impossible.
The most serious cause Of complaint
however is not as to the kind OF light
where light exists, but the absence OF
light in very large proportion Of the
county roads and lanes, where there is
actually no light at all. just as far as
possible these places are provided with
naphtha lamps but there is a great need
of a large extension Of this service. IN
making up the estimates for the coming
year the Commissioners have asked as
much as Yves possible 10 allow for street.
lighting hoping TO extend the service OF
naphtha lighting into hose portions of the
county which are now in darkness.
An incident TO the lighting of the city
is the matter of designating the names OF
streets. In doing away with the lamps
where electric aTc-lights are now in eX-
istence there was also the doing away with
the old system Of placing a street designa-
tiou on the gas-lamps so that the street
could be designated by night as well as
by day. This is now provided for by using
the old lamp-posts, a two-foot burner
being attached thereto at the top OF the
pest inclosed in what is known as a Coils
lamp. This is not intended TO light the
street at all. but the small burner gives
light enough to make designation possible.
These lamps are of beautiful design: the
lettering is large and can be easily read.
A contract has been recently entered into
with the Washington Gas Light Company
for maintaining these lamps at a much
lower price than heretofore paid. and with
the money thus saved additional Coils
lamps Will be provided.
Attention is invited TO the street desig-
nations and especially TO the new departure
of painting the posts a silver color instead
Of the old conventional green.
1t may be of interest 10 the people OF
the District TO know that the number of
lights provided for the District is as fol-
lows Number of gas lamps $3.50; iUcan-
descent lamps. 26S; number of are lights,
65S: naphtha lamps 1.215; Welsbach lights,
81. Coils lamps. 46 total $3.50 an in
crease during the wear OF 266 lamps