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

the lights right. The lamps arc not
burning satisfactorily.
Mr.. Spinks: You will say that if
all the lamps were I 4 ampere lamps.
| Westinghouse lamps, new lamps. and
not the old lamps with 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 Waynr
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 10
misunderstood me. ] am not Ques-
tionins your honesty. | think in this
report to City Council you covered
ali the ground that it was possible to
cover. and afterwards you were en-
ploycd by the company. what | am
irving TO get at is whether the COM
pany carried out the recommends
| tons.
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 lis
believe that the lamps were all right
and the result of those hearings final
~ was that they had TO change the
system.
lIr. SrinkS: You were employed
to make recommendations and you
did il. They carried out the recon-
m"ndations?
] Mr.. Bets: Yes, sir.
I Mr.. Spinks: You say you recon-
mended certain kind Of lamp?
Mr.. Belts: .rcre's the result. re-
! ported IN this ing and several
| hearings were held III which repre-
sentatives of The company were pres
cnt. 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 OH 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
or light. They notified the Commit
tee on Light | think that the change
had been made on January 10th, !
think.
Nr. Harrison: They notified the
City AcditCr?
MIR. Belts: | was working for the
City Council. | had nothing to do
with the company then. On January
| 9th they notified the auditor as to
the change January 10th. 1905.
Acting on this, Mr.. Uhler called the
Chlcr. Mr.. Dunn as adviser to the
committee, and myself paid visit to
the plant to ascertain whether the
currents were operating at I IL am
| pcreS.
Mr.. Spinks: You did not invcsti
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
| hat the system was Y amperc
system.
Mr.. Spinks: You have never stated
that you examined the lamps.
Mr.. Belts: investigated the sys
EN-. In 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.
MIR. Belts: Yes. but it would be a
| foolish thing 10 do.
Mr. Spinks: When this letter was
written by Mr.. Darrah on January lG
| 90S, YOU had no con ""tion with the
Alexandria Electric {
MIR. Belts: Not AT
Mr.. Spnks: YC a
whether the rec
been carried out?
Mr.. Belts: Nor
letter we went to the +.
brought down instruments, an.
proved TO our satiSfacti0n--it was
| the committee that had to be salts
ied-thar this system was opcratin"
al : y ampercS. | don't know wh"tEt-
cr he reported that he found this was
true found il was true and so re-
ported 10 Mr. Ehlor and MIR. Dunn
was there. and they saw il themselves
and they were satisfied themselves
hat the system was in operation as
he said it was.
Alr. Spinks: That practically sever
ID your connections with Alexandria
city?
Mr. Belts: | believe so.
Mr. Spinks: Afterwards you were
employed as consulting engineer for
he Alexandria Electric Company n
year later. After you were employed
BY the Alexandria Electric Company
' Ill made recommendation. that thcS"
new carbon holders be gotten and it
was 4 year after this time you visited
The plant?
Mr.. Belts: Yes, sir. What do you
infer from that?
MIR. Spinks: You have stated that?
Mr.. Belts: | know stated thar.
What arc you infcrring?
MIR. Spinks: It was q year later be
fore the company began 10 give the
city proper light?
Mr.. Belts: No, sir. Here is my
report. After that report the com
mittce held several hearings. The |
company asked If we would be salts
fled il they went ahead and made |
these changes. was still employed |
by The city at this time. The com |
pany finally notified the city that this
change had been made. and MIR. th!cr
called the Committee on Light to-
gether. Mr. Ehie", MIR. Dunn ana
myself went down 10 the plant.
brought my instrument down anG
checked up the current. and Mr.. N
Ter saw that the circuits were operal-
ing under those conditions then. The
point is this: The system was chang
cd and then we were al! satisfied that
twas: these lamps were not 5chav-
iry properly even then. You don't
seem to see the difference between