New-York tribune., 1906-09-22
IN ELECTRIC CITY.
Nezc York's Sky Illuminated at
Night by Thousands of Signs.

New York IS the electric city. II Is probably the
most brilliantly illuminated city IN the world. II
this is the age of electricity the American metrop-
oils is probably the queen OF the Figures re-
Gently compiled show that she consumes four times
the amount Of electric used by the greater
city OF London. and she far outdistances all other
cities OF Europe or America. While this is due IN
large part 10 the generous use OF electricity for
street and building Illumination important fac
tor also is the tremendous growth in the use Of
the current 10 talk business az night
The number OF signs that make the night sky OF
according 70 the city authorities. within the last
haitian Island there are some three thousand cleo
trlc signs OF al sizes and descriptions To make
on signs ana windows @ tSat % formerly isy darR ana
dead. no less than one hundred thousand lights
In the Borough Of The Bronx. aimos, thousand
q business talk brooklyn queens and Richmond
have set up a goodly array.
70 the size position ana nature OF their audience
The LARGEST Illuminated sign in the world is aglow
muters who read it within a radius OF twenty
the East SIDE ana other similar districts, where
are framed with six or even four bulbs the sign
To supply with current the signs Of New York
the generating plant Of good sized town would
cent OF all the electric bulbs that spell out the
OF supply company. IN buildings which
stiI maintain private electrical plants II is even
ehinery running into the night 10 keep the sign
To the Iaymsn who is dazzled and almost
blinded by the array OF illuminated signs along the
a revelation 70 learn how few bulbs are actually
required 10 spell out clearly me letters of each one
world only 1900 electric lamps OF four candle power
itai letter Of this sign is sixty feet high and cor
responding width. while the other letters stand
i6a{ enables little over a hundred tiny bulbs 10
outline a letter several hundred feet IN air ano
sign. II estimated by the supply company costs
The maintenance Of the great array Of electric
signs that have sprung up all over New YORK WITH
ment-that OF the ''signjack" To steepe-
jack who climbs 70 dizzy neignts on S'eePs seIs 81 o
sig8Jacks are employed day In and cay Out n a a
men trained 70 climb and swing at startling eleya-
tions. man the corniees Of The metropolitan sky
soraper IN bad winds and bad weather, and puT-
sue the constant work of replacing he electric
bulbs that are growing et' % ,,1aTs @ ma Ibst y lfsn6 ami
and dead BY daylight. or hang suspended In the
ssee 81 4 wall. hundreds OF feet IN tue al.
TO keep one of these signs IN order the strietest
This duty Ia usually assigned @ the electrician who
u ~ 5istlih,Stion Of the current received
from the supply company al the street Inc II Is
Ss viewing Il AZ every possible angle and 70 note
Sny defect In the general appearance which may
- sue 20 exhausted or dim lamps on diagram
ne checks OF carefully each lamp which which Is not al
the highest ensiehSsg eosg sS ysnsvrs the s,ibs "S
There Is considerable skin required IN plotting out
-sr1s or even plain lettering al certain heights and
gies over the moving street thrones % which the
sI1 must talk Often Il has been discovered after
eaTefui experimenting that more clear and striking
Sects are obtained for the largest and most remote
sI,,irofed signs hy the smallest and least power
s.S -.isc.ric lghf bulbs On the other hand il has
-. besn found most advisable TO place large and
roSerfui lights letters suspended just over the
beode of the night crowds
The most remarkable single uast of night nlu-
,set sr 70 sgth In this district alone
-. sc- nearly forty thousand globes In for
,,srsted signs is furnished This glittering trail
sIong upper broadway. the Great White Way" Is
calefrafed all over the word