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

the ClIy OF AleAdHuIld Id, va H"Oh
day, June 6, 1910, o'clock 2. NJ.
The committee this night met pur-
suant TO adjournment.
Present: Francis F. Marbury, ESQ,
Chairman; F. C. Spinks, ESQ. j..
NJ. Hill, Esq, and l.. L. Uhler'
Esq, members of the committee
H. Noel Garner, secretary OF the
said committee; d. r. Stans6ury'
Esq, Clerk of Council; S. P. Fish
er, 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 letter from
Leo p. Harlow, Esq, attorney for the
Alexandria Electric Light Company
requesting that he be furnished
with a 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: | 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 Mr..
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 1t
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
be 1000 candle power lights OF the
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 have
not been satisfactory. ] want to take
up this
Mr.. Spinks (interrupting): This
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 Do
ampere lamp.
Mr.. Belts: No, that was not; but
that is not the condition now. This
is quoted from my report TO the CITY
Council dated May 7, 1907, in which
the Council practically asked II 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 oil
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 200 candle power lamps
II did not make any difference what
the system was, and, of course, there
were a good many systems-the Sch
uyler and the Brush-there have beer
seven or eight systems. all using ~
ampere for the 1000 candle power
lamp in series. The sO-called l,2Ot
candle power lamp took about 6.S.
Mr.. Spinks: That was the alter
mating arc? -,
Mr. Belts: No, that was the di
rect current. There were only two
kinds of lamps There were lots o
makers of lamps, of course, but 81
far as the results attained were con
cerned they were practically th'
same. Two thousand candle powe
is a name, so far as that is concern
ed. lust a way to call it. That wa
the highest 1000 candle power
Twelve hundred candle power is tn
other. This blue print, which | hav
made here shows that. Let me ex
plain that to you.
Here follows explanation OF blu
PRINT
Mr.. Spinks continuing: ln.othe
words 90 lamp WOulu hO' 6i'N "
much light as a 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 cit!
Mr.. Spinks: Do you know OF you
, own knowledge whether Alexandra
, city has been equipped with 10 an
: pere lights?
, Mr.. Belts; Certainly.
Mr.. Spinks What lamps are the
, and when were they put up?
= Mr.. Belts: The first lamps put
were &C ampere lamps. Later on
% a result of this report | made
Mr.. Spinks (interrupting): L
EnnWl40E