The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-08-20
PH|LA. FOLLOWS
NEWARK PLAN
FOR LIGHTING
Their Market Street, Too, Will
Have Flaming Arcs on
the Curbs.

Apparently Philadelphia, consigned to
eternal sleep by pa~ragraphists and car
t%oonist, has come to life enough to see
the advantage of some of the improve
ments incorporated by Newark, n to
follow suit. By a strange coincidence
it is the Pennsylvania city's Market
street which is to be improved much
after the fashion of our own Market
street.
An agitation which has beer going
on in S%noreyille ever since the flaming
arcs were set flaming here, to pave
their Market street with wood blocks
and install almost two hundred more
.mps, is at last apparently to be sue
cessful. Another feature of the re-
markable parallel between the cases of
the two cities lies in the fact that
Philadelphia officials seriously consid-
cred the advisability of putting the
lampposts IN the middle of the streets,
a plan which Newark tried and found
to be dangerous and impracticable.
Then the village of repose thought 1t
would be a good plan to have steel
arches across the street from which
the lights could be suspended. The
following letter written by Chief Nc
Laughlin, of the electrical bureau,
shows how in the end, Newark's plan is
to be closely followed:
August Is, 1909.
Hon. John E. Reyburn, Mayor OF Phlla-
delphia.
Dear Sir-In connection with the
erection of steel arches on Market
street, for the purpose of illumination
as suggested by the representatives OF
the Rapid Transit Company at a meet
ing he'll In our office a few days ago
for your information l desire to inform
you that I have made a careful
analysis of the conditions inciden,
thereto, and find, upon investigation
and after much thought, hat the
scheme would be thoroughly impractl-
cal from every standpoint.
1t would take forty-seven steeI
arches, approximately twenty-three
feet in height, and a spar of sixty-twc
iSVI NolIA Out tit SCIieille~ SuSkeSteu,
n the cost of the erection of the
same, aside from the ueiv appearance
Market street would present, would be
prohibitiye. Market street would have
the appearance of an elevated railroad
structure from Juniper street to the
Delaware river.
idea has always been to illum-
mate Market street in an artistic man
ner, and not to erect what, in my judg-
ment, would be a veritable monstrositv
l have worked out a plan. however
which | think will accomplish the &c
sired end, but erecting a number oil
ornamental lamp standards, a blueprint
of which | am sending you. on The
curb dine. with two lights Of 1000
candlepower each, on each standard
n two at each corner of the inter
section, which would make $4,000
candlepower at Zach intersection. Tt
accomplish this result it will require
one hundred and eight-one additiona
lamps, with thirty-one that are there
now, making a total of two hundreC
and twelve lamps.
To suspend these lamps will require
one hundred and six poles, at an ap
proXimate cost of $50 each.
The cost of operating the one hun
dred and eighty-one lamps, at the rate
of $1o0.06 each, will be SIS, 110.S6; tn
cost Of one hundred and six poles a.
$50 each, $ $3.50, making a total cost o
$26, $50. S6.
My understanding of the matter was
that the Rapid Transit Company wa
to pay for the erection of these arches
which would cost to erect much NOR
thar was claimed. With this though
in view, 1t seemed to me that 1t would
be a very nice thing for the Rapit
Transit Company to at least pay fol
the cos of these poles, which would
not be more than SIC, 900, including thu
cost of erection.
l am also sending o a blue-prin
showing the proposed location of tn
lights in the curb line.
The erection of the arches referre'
to would also seriously interfere. will
the fire department In connection will
the operation of the very expensiV'
high pressure fire main service, whicl
has just been completed. In case Of
confiagration on either side OF tn
street these arches. in many cases
would greatly hamper the department
The blueprint of the pole which
am sending you is the design that ha
beer approved by the T-Square Club
of this city, composed of artists an
architects, and upon which the Cop
memorial prize of the Academy of Fin
Arts IA awarded.
With your approval, l will procee'
Immediately to make preparation TO
the erection of these light standards
Respectfully submitted,
J.. F. MCLAUGHLIN, chief of burea,