Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-06-14

At the Office of the City Auditor, in
the City of Alexandria, Va, Mon
day, June 6, 1910, s o'clock P. NJ.
The committee this night met pur-
suant to adjournment.
Present: Francis F. Marbury, Esq.
Chairman; F. c. Spinks, Esq, }.
NJ. Hill, Esq, and L. E. Uhler,
ESQ, members of the committee;
H. Noel Garner, secretary of the
said committee; D. R. Stansbury,
ESQ, Clerk of Council; S. P. Fish
err, Esq, Corporation Attorney, and
Philander Belts, Esq, who appear
ed at the request of the committee.
The Chairman read the resolution
of Council under which this commit
tee was appointed, and a letter from
Leo P. Harlow, Esq, attorney for the
Alexandria Electric Light Company,
requesting that he be furnished
with copy of the testimony taken
before this committee, which letter
and request was on motion OF Mr..
Spinks, seconded by Mr.. Hill, laid on
the table.
Mr.. Spinks: l offered this resolu-
ton which YOU have heard read, ask
ing that an expert be employed, and
Mr.. Hill and some of the members of
the committee, knowing that Mr..
Belts had been employed some time
past as an expert, concerning some
of the controversy existing between
the City Council of Alexandria and
the Alexandria Electric Light Com
pany suggested that we employ MT.
Belts to give us such assistance and
services as he could.
The Chairman: Mr.. Belts is here
and any questions that you want to
ask him, and any information that he
can give you he is here to give.
Mr.. Spinks: When this contract
was entered into between the City
Council of Alexandria and the Alex
andria Electric Light Company, they
we're to furnish electric lights, ac-
cording to this contract which | will
read, and request that it be not re-
ported, as it is already before the
committee:
(The contract referred to was here
read by Mr.. Spinks.)
Mr.. Spinks: Now. Mr.. Belts. you
have read over this contract, and it
is for the furnishing of necessary
electric light. The contract says:
"All of which arc lamps so furnished
shall be of the latest type enclosed
alternating arc of 1000 candle pow
err" | want to ask you if in your
examination you found these lights to
IL
latest type.
Mr. Belts: There is no such thing.
know that is in the contract, and 1t
is very foolish, but not different from
a great many other contracts that
have been made for the same pur-
pose. want TO refer back to my re-
port. but | will say that at the pro-
ceedings of the National Electrical
Association in 1894 committee drew
up rules which were better than the
old candle power rules, but even that
was not satisfactory. and in 1907 a
new committee was appointed to
draft more satisfactory rules for
street lighting, and even they nave
not been satisfactory. ! want to take
up this
Ia
contract states that Vaudeville, his
successors and assigns, entered into
a contract with the City Council OF
Alexandria to furnish arc lights OF
the latest type enclosed alternating
arc of 1000 candle power. DID we
get at that time the lamp that was
the latest type lamp on the market
that lamp, as you know, was the OF
ampere lamp.
Mr.. Belts: No, that was not; but
that is not the condition now. This
is quoted from my report 10 the City
Council dated May I, 1907, in which
the Council practically asked If they
were getting what was due them:
"In the first place, | wish to state
that the term 1000 candle power
must not be taken literally, but must
be taken as a name Of the highest OF
street illumination"-
Mr.. Spinks: That is the highest
standard. In other words it was the
way in which you spoke OF the best
arc light made for this purpose at the
time?
Mr.. Belts: Yes, sir. When the
old city plant was first installed and
for many years afterwards there were
two lamps - 1000 candle power
lamps and 1900 candle power lamps
1t did not make any difference what
the system was, and, Of course, there
we're a good many systems-the Sch
uyler and the Brush-there have been
seven or eight systems. all using ~
ampere for the 1000 candle power
lamp in series. The so-called LOO
candle power lamp took about 6.S.
Mr.. Spinks: That was the alter
mating arc?
Mr.. Belts: No. that was the dl'
rec, current. There were only two
kinds of lamps. There were lots Of
makers OF lamps, of course, hut Sc
far as the results attained were con
cerned they were practically the
same. Two thousand candle power
is a name. so far as that is concern
ed; just way TO call 1t. Ihal Wa'
the highest 1000 candle power
Twelve hundred candle power Is tn
other. This blue print, which | have
made here shows that. Let me eH
plain that 10 you.
Here follows explanation or olu
printD
Mr. SpinkS (continuing): ln-othe
words a Go lamp would not give a
much light as Is?
MIR. Belts: o. no, sir. There ar
three classes Of lamps that are use'
for street purposes. That 1000 can
die power is just taken as a name
That has gone out of service and
not being used anywhere except IN
few towns where they bought u
some of the appliances of some city
Mr.. Spinks: Do you know of you
own knowledge whether Alexandra
city has been equipped with 10 an
pere lights?
Mr.. Belts: Certainly.
AIR SDinks. What lamps are the