The times., 1899-06-20
OPENING bids FOR
LIGHTING HHE CITY
Little Change in the Price
Over Last Year.
The Business Distributed Among the
Three Illuminating Plants.
Each Company to Maintain and Keep
in Repair All Lights Con-

With a single slight exception, the Dis
trict government will pay for its gas and
electric lighting service during the com
ing fiscal year the same prices that are
being paid at the present time. The
Commissioners have just opened and are
considering the bids recently submitted
to them by the four principal lighting COM
panes in Washington and have found no
difference in the price for maintaining each
lamp from the present charges except in
the case of The electric lamps operated by
the United States Electric Lighting Com
pany in Georgetown, twenty-four in num-
Der. The sum of $3.50 is being paid now
for each of these lamps, while s91.25 per
lamp per year is being charged by the
United States Electric Lighting Company
for the lamps furnished by it in other parts
of the city In the new bid for the COM
ing fiscal year the United States Electric
Lighting Company and the Potomac Elec-
trio Power Company, which submit pro-
posals identically alike, offer to furnish
electric arc lighting throughout the year,
beginning July 1, for the uniform price of
S9l.25 per lamp per year, so that there will
be small increase for each arc light in
Georgetown.
The bids received by the Commissioners
were, in full, as follows: The Washington
Gaslight Company. for 1000 lamps cast of
Rock Creek $40 per annum per lamp, and
the same price for the loo lamps in Eek
ington and West lexington.
The Georgetown Gaslight Company, for
400 gas lamps west of Rock Creek, for
500 per annum per lamp.
The United States Electric Lighting
Company, for each electric arc light in the
territory now lighted by the company
sg1. % per annum per lamp; for each in
candescent lamp $40 per annum per lamp,
and for each additional incandescent lamp,
$3.50 per lamp.
Included in the present lighting service
of the District are 6,G22 gas lamps east OF
Rock Creek. 465 gas lamps west of Rock
Creek, 65S electric arc lamps, and 26S in
eandescent electric lamps. The fncandes-
cent lamps are of not less than twenty
FIVE candle power No decision has heen
reached in the matter OF awarding the
contract. but the Commissioners will prob
ably give a certain share TO each com
pany. in the territory now controlled by
each organization. The work to be done
by each company will consist not only in
operating but also maintaining and repair
ing all lights contracted for in such
streets and highways, which are now
lighted, and, at the option OF the Com
missioners, must place lamps in such
other thoroughfares as may from time TO
time be ordered lighted.
The specifications for gas street light
ing require that the contracting compan-
les shall equip each lamp with seif-reg-
ulating burner and tip, so adjusted as to
secure under all ordinary variations OF
pressure and density a consumption OF
FIVE cubic feet of gas per hour Each gas
lamp must burn every night during the
year on the average from fifteen minutes
after sunset until foTty-fiye minutes be-
fore sunrise or an average of 1852 hours
per annum, according to schedules fur
nished by the Engineer Commissioner. 1t
also stipulates that the gas companies re-
Law al their own expense all brick side
walks and surface disturbed in erecting
or moving lamps, but all granite block,
asphalt block, sheet asphalt vitrihed
brick and cement pavements VIII nave 10
be replaced by the District without ex-
pense to the contractor. All new lamp
posts are to be furnished by the District
with the necessary lanterns and street
DESIGNATIONS. penalty of 2-365ths OF
the contract price per light per annum
will be deducted for every light that fails
to burn continuously throughout the hours
prescribed for a night.
An important clause in the specifca-
tions for electric arc lighting is the one
which provides that the location, capacity.
material. character. and construction of all
connections TO existing conduits shall be
subject in every respect to the approval
of the District Commissioners or their
agents The District will also have the
privilege of testing the condition and ef-
fciency of any of the conductors of the
! lighting companies in any manner they
may desire, and the contractors will be
called upon to repair any defects which
may be found by the District engineers.
! 1t is expressly stipulated by the Com
missioners that each lamp shall give a
/ clear, steady, and uniform light, without
undue kissing or Pickering, and that each
( light must give, when clear glass globes
are used. a mean luminous intensity of
not less than one thousand standard
candles.