Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-27

nue. has large trees at each curb in line
with which the present arc lamppostS are
placed. Even with the lamps hanging
from the end of a nine-foot arm. the
branches of the trees seriously interfere
with the light. 1t is also necessary to
hang the lamps low in order to get the
light below and beyond the bottom limos,
which results in a most uneven and In
efficient illumination of the roadway and
causes heavy shadows to be thrown on
the sidewalk.
II would. therefore. urgently recon-
mend that lamps be placed on posts erect
ed in the roadway on what are common
ly known as isles of safety" These
islands should be about fifty feet long
by six feet wide. located adjacent to
the outer rails of the street car tracks,
at the regular stopping points Tor the
cars Where the distance between cross
streets is too great for a good distriou-
ton Of the light, intermediate lamps can
be placed on circular Islands SIX rect IN
diameter. At one end of each or these
obong islands post should be placed
from which the lamps are to be hung.
With the spacing of the islands as l have
indicated on the plat accompanying TINS
report fifty will be required ana inc
lamps will average 1S feet apart anu
will form two rows of light down me
roadway The locations of the lSlandS
are, of course. only Approximately moi
Gated: their exact location will be defi.
uitely determined after the approval OF
the plan.
1T is proposed that the lamps in the
roadway shall burn only one-half OF the
night supplementing the present lamps,
A portion of which will burn an hlsn':
II is estimated that about thlrty-eiShl
out of the present sixty-elght lamps Gun
he turned off during the first nan OF tIie
night. the remaining thirty lamps beins
kept in service during that period TO
ipbt the sidewalks where the trees are
thick.
Three Avenue Plans.
Il submit three plans for the lighting
of this avenue, summarized In the taple
below. The first plan contemplates the
use of one fame arc lamp to each OF
the fifty posts In the roadway. burning
until midnight, supplemented by thirty
Of the present arc lamps at the curb.
At midnight the flame arcs will be ex-
tinguished and the remaining thirty
eight OF the present arc lamps 'urned
on, giving to the avenue during the
second half of the night service equal
to the present. These fame arc lamps
are expensive to maintain, as they con-
sumo considerable more current than
the other type and require trimming
every sixteen hours as against 40
hours for the others. The lowest rate
I have been able to obtain for half
night service of such lamps is Sl25 per
annum each, the company furnishing,
Of course, the entire equipment. IL the
District purchases the posts for TINS
installation. which l strongly recon-
mend be done, the annual rate Will be
IS less Plan No. Is substitute Tor
the above. provided flame arc lamps are
not desired. 1t varies from plan No 1
in that the fifty flame arc lamps are
replaced by 100 of the present type or
arc lamps, putting two lamps on each
post, the number of side lamps remain
ing the same as at present. AS Will be
seen from the table, the total annual
cost is about $3.50 less. Plan NO. IS
proposed If it is decided that the lamps
cannot be placed in the roadway. rms
is the only other method of satisfac-
torily improving the lighting of this
avenue 1t involves moro than double
the present number of lamps, placing
all of them at the curb line, DONG away
with the ugly mast arms and lncloslhS
the lamps in opal outer globes set on
the top of the posts. Owing to the eX-
IRENE width of the roadway, however,
this method Will not give nearly as effl-
cient results as either of the other TWO
methods.
Il inclose photographs of an Isle OF
safety used in San Francisco which Is
similar In dimensions to that nave
proposed. In addition to the lampposts.
this island has stone or concrete seats
for people waiting for cars which at
the same time serve as guards to reno
off passing teams. The prevalence OF
this method of placing lamps in the
roadways can be seen from the other
photogra phs I have Enclosed. showing
conditions in London and Paris
Comparative Cost.
THE following table gives the COM
a,rat;,,a COST of the three plans pro-
posed for Pennsylvania avenue: