The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-06
TAKE IT ALL BACK.
Council Committee Rather Uncertain
on Light Proposition.

The ways and means committee of
the council last night reconsidered its
recommendation of the purchase of
s42 arc lamps from the Warner Elec-
trio Light company, of Muncie, Ind,
at a cost of $4,000. The reason for
the reconsideration was based on the
representations made last evening to
the mem ers of the committee by J.
W HeIgman, of the Fort Wayne Elec-
trio company, who has a type of the
enclosed arc lamp for sale. Mr.. HeIg-
han stated that his lamp used less
energy than the Warner lamp ana
would burn from 125 hours to $50
hours without attention from trim
mer. Warner stated that his lamp
would burn 100 hours before trim
mer would have to attend the lamp
This is based on a 6.6 amperage, a
lower anperage than is now furnished
by the machines at the plant. The
representative from the Fort Wayne
company stated that the machines at
the plant would have to be rewound;
that it would be impossible to furnish
enough energy from the dynamos Tor
the enclosed arc lights if such action
was not taken. Helgman challenged
the statement made by Mr.. Warner
of the Warner company to the ways
and means committee Monday night
to the effect that it would not be nee
essary to rewind the dynamOs If his
lamps were used, but in that event
the lamps would run only 50 hours
without the attention of the trimmer
He said he recommended the rewind-
ing but that it was not absolutely
necessary. Helgman claimed that
Warner could not support his state
ment; that the city could not furnish
enough power from its four dynamoS
for 342 lamps, the number now in
use, if the enclosed arc lights were
put in; that either the dynamOS would
have to be rewound to secure reduc-
ton in the amperage of from go TO
to be purchased. The former of
course is the cheaper, by about &c.
600.
To support the fact that the War
ner lamp was using up more energy,
Helgman Thursday evening took a
voltameter and measured the amount
of electric energy which a Warner IN
place at the plant was using. He
claimed that his measurements showed
that the lamp was using up horse
power of energy, while his lamp by the
same test showed but two-thirds of that
amount The Fort Wayne company
has one of their lamps on the circuit
at Seventh and Quincy streets, while
Warner has placed an arc light OF
his patent at the corner of Eighth and
Quincy streets. The latter gives
brighter light, and the committee so
stated upon viewing the two lamps in
operation. Helgman acknowledged
this fact, but stated that the reason
had been given by him in the state
ment that more energy was being used
by the Warner lamp. He also claimed
that whenever repairs would have to be
made the Warner lamp would have to
be taken down to the plant, While the
Fort Wayne lamp could be repaired
on the spot. This is due to the char
acter of construction.
The General Electric company,
known as the trust, claims to have
still better proposition in a lamp which
burns 500 hours without trimming.
AS each lamp under the schedule in
use by the city only burns from 2,400
to $500 hours in a year it would
take trimming but four times during
the year. The General Electric COM
pany has offered to pay the expenses
of Supt. Goodrich of the city electric
light plant to St. Joseph, where the
city is installing some 500 of these
lamps to watch their operation.
Neither of the latter two companis
has filed prices with the city. and the
committee has deferred action until
both the Fort Wayne and the General
Electric companies can file competitive
figures.