The evening times., 1900-07-09


missioners for consideration this morning
was the report of the Electrical Engineel
on the letter Of enquiry from the Phila-
| delphia, Wilmington. and Baltimore Rail-
road Company, relative to the number and
character OF lights desired on the Long
Bridge
The railroad company addressed this en-
quiry 10 the Commissioners in answer to a
letter from them advising the company that
il was the intention of the District Gov
ernment to have the bridge patrolled and
20 afford people passing over II protection
both by day and by night To this end the
| Commissioners informed the company that
| as owners OF Long Bridge they should pro-
vide for 1t proper ligh,in= at night.
Thomas !. Fisher, the Inspector of Eieo-
trio Lighting, at the request OF the Com
miSsioners. went over the ground careful
ly and has reported 10 the Electrical En-
gineer that the best and most feasible way
to light this bridge would be by means of
incandescent electric lights.
Starting from the Washington en-
trance" be says, Tights to the number OF
! thirteen should be placed, one or every
other existing pole Of the Mount Vernon
Electric Railway, which extend along the
bring these lights on an average distance
of l95 feet apart, up 10 the commencing Of
the wooden bridge construction, the ap-
prOximate length of which construction TO
the Virginia end is $50 feet l would rec
ommend the placing OF this structure OF
sixteen lights. suspended from the top la
eraI struts at about an average distance o.
122 feet apart. This would make a total of
| twenty-nine incandescent electric lights,
which. in my opinion, owing TO the narrow
width of the road and the fact that the
| lights are unobstructCd. would light this
bridge amply. II this means OF ligntirg is
adopted. it would be better IL the lamps
were supported with current from source
other than The power now used for opera
ting the Mount Vernon Railway owing TO
the fact that the voltage Of this line is apt
TO be very unsteady. thereby causing tie
lights at times TO burn dim
Walter c. Allen, the Electrical En- ngineer,
/ in forN NardinE the report OF NJ. Fisher 10
the Commissioners this morning. added:
1T would not. in my opinion. be adviSs-
bic to operate these lights from a grounded
trolley circuit Owing 60 the eompara-
lively short distance bstween the roadway
and the top OF the bridge II WOULD not be
advisable 20 uee arc lamps because sun
cient distribution for the lights could not
be obtained. The location Of the lights
as proposed by MIR. Fisher. has been care
Z 4
/ bridge very satisfactorily, provided the
lamps are not less than twenty Ave candle
power
Commissioner Macfarland has approved
the recommendation from the Electrical
Department. and II is expected that his as
sociates will acouiesce in the decision
when the railroad company viii be in
formed in accordance herewith
Thomas W. Fowler, OF SO7 Fifth Street
, H.
ers complaining of the annoyance caused BY
the running Of heavy cars on Fifth Street
and by men working on the tracks by
night.
Il respectfully call attention" he writes.
TO the distracting noises the residents of
Firth Street Sre subject 10 al night. Sleep
IS impossible until after ! o'clock m.
because Of the heavy Suburban Railway
cars. which shake the houses as they pass
Some OF these cars have what I understand
is commonly known as fat wheels or
wheels which make a dreadful humping
noise as they pass over the tracks.
But. worst Of all. is the fact that this
company has workmen repairing their
tracks after the cars have ceased TO run.
Three nights out Of the past seven these
workmen have made the night hideous
with sledge hammers and crowbars. break
ing through the concrete masonry at the
intersection OF Fifth Street and Massachu-
set;s Avenue, working from II O'Clock at
night until in the morning."
Il earnestly pray that the Commissioners
will prohibit this work being done after u
o'clock at night and before 6 O'Clock in the
morning"
The Commissioners have the complaint
under consideration and viii give the mat
ters complained Of consideration.
The Commissioners have been receiving
from disgruntled residents OF the District
vast amount OF advice about the proper
observance of the Fourth OF July These
missiyes are still coming and for the most
part they complain in, bitter terms over the
noise Of explosives, OF the stencil OF the
burning powder. the danger from FIRE and
the annoyance Of the barbarous practices
of the day 20 people Of weak nerves.
But among the many letters Of CON-
plant are few expressing appreciation OF
the efforts OF the authorities to limit the
size Of frecrackers and to preserve some
thing like good order without spelling the
day for the children and young people In
stead of imploring the Commissioners TO
condemn the use OF powder and explosives
and to attempt to metamorphose the day
into sort of religio-patriotic Sunday. the
few are pleased with the recent action OF
the Commissioners prescribing a limit 10
the noise by ruling out the larger size ex-
plosives. One such letter is that Of Mrs
C. H. Sprague. of 706 Mt Vernon Square.
Il am sure" she says. that / but voice
the sentiments of the majority Of people
when / say: Thank you a thousand. times
for giving so much more quiet a Fourth
OF July 1t is very gratifying that the bet
ter laws so we'll enforced"