Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-06-17


burning satisfactorily.
Mr.. Spinks: You will saw that II
all the lamps were Z p ampere lamps.
Westinghouse lamps, new lamps. and
not the old lamps with a new coil in
them, that the service would be much
more satisfactory than it is at pres
ent?
Mr.. Belts: Yes, sir, because the
Westinghouse lamps, in my opinion.
are better than the Fort Wayne
lamps, but new Fort Wayne lamps.
absolutely new, would not be any bet
ter. These lamps that they took
down were burned up and that is
why they got new ones.
Mr.. Spinks: | don't want you to
misunderstood me. | am not ques-
tioning your honesty. | think in this
report to City Council you covered
all the ground that it was possible to
cover, and afterwards you were en-
ployed by the company. What | am
trying to get at is whether the com
pany carried out the recommends
tions.
Mr.. Belts: This report did not ter
inmate my work The committee
held several hearings at which Mr..
| Hill was present. We nearly had a
fight with the man from the Fort
! Wayne people, who tried to make US
believe that the lamps were all righJ
and the result of those hearings final
ly was that they had to change the
| system.
Mr.. Spinks: You were employed
to make recommendation and you
did it. They carried out the recon-
mondations?
Mr.. Belts: Yes. sir.
Mr. Spinks: You say you recon-
mended a certain kind of lamp?
Mr. Belts: .Iere's the result. re-
! ported IN this. ing and several
hearings were held at which repre-
sentatives of the company were pres
ent The result was that the COM
pany decided to change the system in
conformity with this report They
had certain correspondence with the
Committee on Light, and | had GER
tain correspondence. They notified
the Committee on Light that they had
changed the system, and they de-
sired the Committee on Light to look
at it, and they state that from that
time the system having been changed
the lamps were operated Oh that sys-
TEN. Commencing with that date
they would furnish the city the prop
er light. They notified the Commit
tee on Light | think that the change
had been made on January 18th, |
think.
Mr.. Harrison: They notified the
City Auditor?
Mr. Belts: | was working for the
City Council. | had nothing to do
with the company then. On January
10th they notified the auditor as to
the change. January 10th, 1908. |
Acting on this, Mr.. Uhler called the |
Committee on Light together. Mr. |
Uhler. Mr.. Dunn as adviser to the |
committee, and myself paid a visit to
the plant to ascertain whether the
currents were operating at ~ am
peres.
Mr.. Spinks: You did not investi-
gate the lamps on that occasion?
Mr.. Belts: Yes, we investigated
the system. | am not going to argue
with you on that point. We found
that the system was Z p ampere
system.
that you examined the lamps.
Mr.. Belts: | investigated the sys-
EN-. In a series system the same cur
rent goes out through all the lamps. |
Mr.. Spinks: You have stated that |
you could block out an intermediate |
lamp.
Mr. Belts: Yes, but it would be a
foolish thing to do.
Mr.. Spinks: When this letter was
written by Mr. Darrah on January 16.
1908. you had no con cotton with the
Alexandria Electric (... >
Mr. Belts: Not at '. !
Mr.. Spinks: YC dl' I.f EMO
whether the rec nd
been carried out?
Mr.. Belts: No, 'a
letter we went to the D.
brought down instruments, ah-
proved to our satisfactiOn-it was
the committee that had to be salts
fed-that this system was operating
at Z Y amperes. | don't know wheth-
er he reported that he found this was
true. | found it was true and so re-
ported to Nr. Uhler and Mr.. Dunn
was there, and they saw it themselves
and they were satisfied themselves
that the system was in operation as
he said it was
Mr.. Spinks: That practically sever
ed your connections with Alexandria
city?
Mr.. Belts: | believe so.
Mr. Spinks: Afterwards you were
as consulting engineer FOR
he Alexandria Electric Company a
year later. After you were employed
by the Alexandria Electric Company
I'll made recommendation that these
leW carbon holders be gotten and il
vas a year after this time you visited
he plant?
Mr. Belts Yes. sir. What do you
nfer from that?
Mr.. Spinks: You have stated that?
Mr.. Belts: / know ! stated that.
What are you inferring?
MIR. Spinks: 1t was year later be- [
ore the company began TO give the /
ity proper light? T
Mr.. Belts: No, sir. Here is my
eport. After that report the COM ,
littee held several hearings. The S
asked if we would be salts
ed if they went ahead and made [
hese changes. was still employed 4
y the city at this time. The com
any finally notified the city that this
bange had been made, and MIR. Uhler
allied the Committee on Light to- =
ether. Mr.. Uhler, Mr.. Dunn and 9
lyself went down TO the plant. CT
Tought my instrument down and "
lecked up the current, and Mr. Uh- a.
r. saw that the circuits were operat- W
lg under those conditions then. The ~
oint is this: The system was chang -
/ and then we were all satisfied that III
was; these lamps were not behav- u
rg properly even then. You don I
.em to see the difference between II
cf-ctor, and tho ho