Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-05

| needs only one thing-money. In round
numbers S235, 800 are spent for lighting the
District. OF this amount $4,000 are spent
Tor arc lighting in the central part of the
CITY $500 for incandeseent lighting in Eek
lhgton, Ienleytown, the Aqueduct bridge
ana Shain bridge: s137.300 for gas lamps;
S3o"o Tor naphtha lights. These naphtha
Hgnts are used in such sections OF the city
anu county as are not provided with gas
u'eihs; ne light Is fairly good, and is the
pesL mat can be provided. where there are
neither electric wires nor gas mains 1t is
not at all settled in the opinion of many
people mat the arc light of LOCO candle
power, such as we now have is the best
system even of arc lighting. Where the
streets are partly business and partly resi-
uenual the presence of arc lights in front
VI Iesluehces is exceedingly trying to many
persons In the houses and it is commended
that the larger number of lamps. with less
ihulVluual candle power would be the bet
ter system of lighting
oohsress having made provision and al
loWdhce Tor expe ~imental lighting the
money was used In euuipping posts with
NelSoach burners. These lamps have been
paced as FAR as possible on the lines of the
see lalitoads. especially those extending
out INTO the suburbs. Attention is especial
~ invited to these lamps as it is believed
Luat lhey are the best that can be had.
L; L ne cost of maintaining a Welsbach lamp
Is >oo per year, while the cost of the or
olnary gas lamp is $50. the difference being
lflhclpaily in the expense of maintaining
the burner. 1t is thought that the differ
ellce IN the quality OF the lights is we'll
worm the difference in the cost. and the
commissioners would be glad to substitute
t.ese Welsbach burners for all the ordinary
burners did funds permit, but this is i'm
possible.
Cause of Complaint.
inc most serious cause of complaint
however, is not as to the kind of light
Where light exists, but the absence Of Ishs
IN very large proportion of the county
roads and lanes, where there Is actually no
hEht al ALL Just as far as possible these
pieces are provided with naphtha lamps
OUT lhere Is great need of large extern
SION OF THIS service. In making up the esti-
mates Tor the coming year the Commission
eis nave asked much as was possible to
ailow for street lighting. hoping to extend
me service or naphtha lighting into those
darkness. "
incident to the lighting of the city Is
the matter of designating the names of
streets. In doing away with the lamps
Whefe electric arc lights are now in ex-
lStehce there was also the doing away with
the Old system of placing a street designa-
tlon on the gas lamp, so that the street
could be designated by night as well as by
uay. 1hiS Is now provided for by using the
old lampposts, a two-foot burner being at
tached thereto at the ton of the most in
Closed IN what is known as a Coils lamp.
Inls Is not intended to light the street at
ar out the small burner gives light enough
TO make the designation possible These
lamps are of beautiful design; the lettering
IS large and can be easily read A con-
tract has been recently entered into with
the ashington 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 departlITa
OF painting the posts silver color instead
of the old conventional green
II may be of interest to the people Of
the District to know that the number of
lights provided for the District is as fol-
lows:
Number Of gas lamps, 9. 455: incandes-
cent lamps, 26S; number of arc lights 65s;
naphtha lamps, 215; Welshacb Iigbts X.
Coils lamps 10: total, $3.50; an increase
during the year of 268 lamps