Smyrna times., 1905-01-18
VOL TAGE METER SETTLES
COMPLAINT OVER LIGHTS
CHAIRMAN GRIEVES OF LIGHT AND WATER
CONMI TEE REPORTS TO COUNCIL.
Says That the Voltage in all Casts Tried
Showed the Town Was Furnishing Re-
quired Current-TrOubIe Was in Lamp

quired Current-TrOuble Was 10 Lamp
AT meeting of the Smyrna Town
Council in regular session last Friday
evening, Chairman Grieves of the
Light and Water Committee made his
reports, one of which should be es-
peclally interesting to all takers of
electric lights. tie reported that last
week Mr.. ii. H. Vandever of the Column
bla lncandescent Lamp Company of
st. Louis was in town and made test
of the voltage in several business
places and in all cases the voltage was
found to be mp to schedule and in
some cases even higher. Mr.. Grieves
stated that considerable complaint has
been made by some business men that
th1y were not getting what thew paid
for and his object in having Mr.. Van
dever make the test with his volt meter
was to set at rest any disposition on
the part of takers to blame the town
for that which they were not response
BILE. The trouble is not in the vol
tage but in the lamps, for the life
OF lamp is only 600 hours and over that
time the lamp begins to grow DINNER
and DINNER until the lamp burns out.
Ii business places would replace their
old lamps with new ones there would
be less complaint and much more salts
faction. Mr.. Grieves said the town
was furnishing the required voltage all
right aud that the fault in most every
case was the lamp. The increased
brllliancy of the lights after the "load'
is off or on Sunday nights is caused by
the extra voltage often varying in in
tensity while the rheostat is being regu-
lated.
The secretary reported that he had
received a letter from H. Watson Of
Atlantic City, "Steeple Jack" saying
that he intended making Smyrna a
visit the last of this month to take a
look at the standpipe and to furnish
quotations for painting it. This bit of
news was received with favor by the
Council who are anxious to give the
standpipe the attention it badly needs.
There has been considerable trouble
In getting coal the last month and
were it not for our local dealers the
town would be in bad scrape. Three
car loads are on the way but up to
Friday night none had arrived. Secre-
tary Grieves said they had bought 40
tons from the transportation Company
and were now getting lot from Cos
gritf Il Reynolds. In the matter of
those who are IN arrears with their
electric light rents. the secretary re-
ported that he had sent notices out to
the delinquents aud as the ''last day
of grace" had passed (the 10th of Janu-
ary) he was prepared to order the lights
cut off All but two or three had made
a satisfactory settlement and Saturday
morning Chief Engineer Wilson was
ordered to cut the wires.
Alderman Crow reported 81. 90 col
lected in fines the past month. The
following bills were read and allowed:
George W. Taylor, 1881; H. Il r. Fl.
Denney for Board of Health, 25 cents;
E. G. FAIRIES, supplies, S43 80; Adams
Express Company, $3.50; Cosgriff &
Reynolds, wood for Board of Health,
$12. 70; w. L. Pryor, extra police. $500
Smyrna Transportation Co., coal, ice
and freight, $63.76; P. B. & W. Rail
road, freight, $45. 46; Total S239.7