Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-06-22
INVESTIGATING ELECTRIC LIGHT

| The SPECIAL committee recently ap-
pointed by the City Council to inyesti-
gate the power Of the street lights fur
nished by the Alexandria Electric Com
pany held another meeting last night at
which representatives OF the company
and witnesses on its behalf were pres
ent. Mr.. Philander Belts, who was
one of the witnesses summoned Ill the
interest of the city at previous meetings
of the committee, was present.
Some days prior TO the hearing the
electric company requested the COM
mttee to recall Messrs. Kirby, Lloyd
and Belts TO permit the company at
torney to cross-examine them on the
testimony which they had previously
given before the committee. The com
mittee wrote to each of these gentle
men inviting them to be present at the
hearing last night. Mr.. Belts and Mr.
Kirby responded to the invitation
Mr.. Lloyd did not. Mr.. Kirby was
called 10 the stand by the company s
attorney, but he refused to answer any
questions, stating that he would not
permit himself to be crOss-examlned by
the company's attorney on the testl-
mony which he had previously given
| the committee.
Mr.. Belts was called and stated that
he had made certain recommendations
10 improve the lamps; that if these rec
concentrations we're fully carried out
the lamps would, in his opinion, meet
the requirements of the contract with
the CITY. He exploined the difference
between light and illumination, stating
that the old Schuyler lamp, formerly
used by this city, might look brighter
to the eve close to the lamp, but would
not give nearly the illumination that
the present lamp gives and was not
nearly as effective for street lighting
purposes.
Mr.. w. A. Fort, an expert from the
General Electric Company, testified
that the present lamp met the require
ments OF the company's contract with
the city. as they were seven and five
tenths ampere lamps, operated on
seven and five tenths circuit. He ex-
planned that the term two thousand
candle power" was only nominal or
commercial rating, and that the lamp
in use here now was the one universally
accepted as being the equivalent OF a
two thousand candle lamp, 80 called
He stated that before the Colorado
Springs decision i'll 1907 many cities
had a six and six tenth ampere lamps,
which lamp was considered as cores
bonding to a twO-thousand candle
nower lamp, 50 called, and it was only
when this decision at Colorado Springs
WAS rendered that the seven and five
tenths ampere lamp was generally ac-
cepted as measuring up to the so-called
two thousand candle power
Mr.. Weller, the general manager OF
the company, testified that since the
new owners have taken charge, the
company has spent about forty-iiye
thousand dollars in improvements;
that the company was endeavorlng to
give the city the best service possible,
and when any defects in the lights were
discovered they were promptly
remedied; that every night the company
has an inspector on the streets whose
duty it is to watch the lamps
and to report promptly any defects in
the service. He further stated that the
present lamps meet the requirements OF
the contract with the city, as they are
seven and five-tenths amperes operated
on a seven and fve-tenths ampere
system. He stated that in Oxford,
North Carolina, the city has a con
tract which calls for two thousand
candle power lamps, and that city
is using seven and fve-tenths
ampere lamp, which it considers meets
the requirements of the contract. lie
further stated that the company was ut
all times ready and anxious to improve
the service whenever necessary and to
remedy any defects and was willing in
the present instance, if the company
and the committee could not agree, to
let the matter be passed upon by an I'M
partial and competent arbitrator and
have each side accept his decision. If
he found the company in default, the
company would be more than glad to
at once repair any defects that might be
found to exist He further stated that
all Of the recommendation made by
Mr.. Belts about a year ago for the inn
proyement of the lamps had been
carried out by the present management.
The representatives of this city still
believe the candle-power Of the lights is
below that contracted for but the lamps
have not so far been tested