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

DNSSES
a former superintendent OF the Alex
andria Electric Light Company
that the Alexandria Electric Light
Company was still using thlrty-nve OF
the old g. ampere lamps and 80 1-3
per cent of the old wire formerly used
by the city plant, also that when
there was any agitation in the City
Council in regard to these lights
greater current would be turned on
and as soon as things quieted down,
current would be cut down for the
reason that the OLD lamps would not
stand the greater current. what
would you advise this committee to
do to ascertain if this is correct?
Mr.. Spinks: Here is what this
book says about it, (Reading)
Mr.. Belts: That's an open arc;
that is not the same thing at all.
There is no enclosed arc lamp like
that.
MIR. Spinks: This don't say that
there is a 8 y ampere light.
Mr.. Belts: That is an open arc
lamp and has nothing to do with this.
There is no 1000 candle power lamp
except those flaming arc lights for
use in street lighting purposes. These
lamps you have read about are open
arc lamps, but not enclosed.
Mr.. Spinks: Is the Westinghouse
lamp a better lamp than this?
Mr.. Belts: Oh, yes. A far better
lamp than this.
MIR. Spinks: Both Lloyd and Kir-
by have said here
Mr.. Belts: The lamp is rs am
pere light. The system has been
changed. and don't care what either
one of these men have to say about
il. They don't know anything about
il. will state that the system as a
whole has been changed to rs am
pere lights. Whether it is satisfac-
tory or not is something else. | want
10 show you some correspondence |
have had about these lamps. Mr..
Waller came up to see me week or
so ago, and | asked him whether the
way of trimming the lamps had been
changed, and he said no. You VIII
see from the letters here and from
the reports | made to the company
that called the attention of the COM
pany in three separate reports In as
MANY consecutive months TO this
manner of trimming the lights, and
they have never paid any attention TO
il TO my knowledge They had not
I'D to a year ago. This correspond
ence | have here shows about that.
Mr.. Fisher: This committee asked
Mr.. Kirby this question: The Chair
man: But this present company did
not buy any lamps? Mr.. Kirby: No,
sir: they are burning the lamps, the
- ufh thOV
came here. with the exception OF fif-
teen on King Street and some others
the rest of the lamps, say about one
third of the lamps in use, are still
the same that they found here. They
have boosted up the current, put the
lamps won't stand it. The success
that | made of the lights while | was
there was in cutting down the am
peres and trimming the lower carbon
down. We had an expert here to looH
into the trouble and he said he could
not do anything. Then | had the
station cut down the current, anc
after that | had no trouble. The
Committee on Light knows that hac
, one lamp out during the year IRON
, March goth to March goth, and Mr
Uhler said that was a very good rec
ord | remember he said you haC
, better have a ticket made out anC
have il framed. But the result, tina
; result was from cutting down the
current. You have to do that for the
? lamps won't stand it. What do yol
think about that?
} Mr.. Belts: | have some cores
, pondence here which shows abou
that. Here is letter dated Januar!
20. 1909. This agreement that haC
} with the company was TO commence
- here with them about the first o
January, 1898, and this refers to tn
= coils of the arc lamps. | gave hin
2 this information about the carbons OF
this occasion and again in Februar.
A and again in March, and they neve
[ paid any attention to that. You VII
t see in this letter that | recommend
. new carbon holders, but the new
e holders were never gotten, 10 IN
= knowledge. | don't believe they wer
= ever gotten -
t Mr.. Fisher: You stated that if
y satisfactory lamp of 10 ampere wer
n installed that that would be meetini
[ the requirements or this contract!
? Mr.. Belts: Yes, sir.
{ Mr.. Fisher: Do you consider IN
T lamp they have a proper lamp?
e Mr. Belts: No, sir.
@ Mr.. Fisher: Do you think the
e are rs ampere?
: Mr.. Belts Yes, sir.
n Mr.. Fisher: But they are nc
n proper lamps?
l. Mr.. Belts: No, sir.
l. Mr.. Fisher: The light we are no
getting from them is not sufficient |
r warrant Council in saying that IN
It contract has been carried out?
Mr.. Belts: No, sir.
II Mr.. Spinks: | asked Mr.. Kirby
II the lights were not changed bac
again and he said not to his know
If ledge. He said that there was
requisition sent in for fifty lamps an
e that fifteen of them were put up o
@ King Street, and that these ne
n lamps were placed in various parts
1t the town but that about one-thlrd
): the lamps were the old lamps we a
n ways had.
re Nr. Belts: They have all bee
o changed. The coil has been change
W and that is what makes the lamp:
le Mr.. Spinks: Don't you think
Is would have been much better II the
all had been new lamps?
10 Mr.. Belts: 1t don't matter
C. Mr.. Spinks: Why was it necessal
AT TO get fifty new lamps if all the o
ID lamps would have done after the col
were changed?
Mr.. Belts: They had been burnt
err up, some of them.
Id Mr.. Spinks: Do you know whet
er some of them have not been bur
re ed up since June a year ago; SIM
if last June?
Mr.. Belts: don't know anythii
I'D about since last June.
Mr.. Spinks: You can't state wh
Is has taken place in the Alexandr
Lrloctric CnmnanV since June We