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

&C
appointed to investigate the pres
ent system of the lighting OF the
streets of the city, the condition OF
+. the electric street lamps IN the SAID
i city and the operations of the Al
; exandria Electric Light Company
in the said city. :.
..s,.l,.......-r- ,nt b. l.. 5. de-
tors medal to Kenneth c. Royal :. ,e&..
Cnariin,. y,',";". prcsGntat - =
NJ. Hill, Esq, and John w. Harri-
son, Esq. members of the said
committee: E. c. Dunn, Esq, City
:, Engineer: L. S. Kirby, ESQ.,, J. H.
D. Lloyd, Esq, E. F. Price, Esq. and
r II. Noel Garner, Esq, who appear
ed to report the proceedings before
the said committee.
MIR. Spinks: | move that H. Noel
Garner be made the secretary Of this
nmmittee.
,ck. This motion having been duly Sec
driated, was unanimously carried.
The che Chairman: We are assem-
ed here under the authority of the
following ordinance of the City Coun-
Gil of Alexandria:
Resolved: That the City Council
shall appoint special committee OF
five, two from the Board of Alder
men and three from the Common
Council, to report to said boards. at
its earliest convenienceS, what action
the city shall take against the Alex
andria Electric Light Company for
not carrying out their contract with
the city in regard to the arc lights
now furnished, which is not furnish
ed according TO contract power; con-
tract calls for 1000 candle power.
The said committee shall have power
to employ expert electricians, cost
not to exceed the sum of S2OO.O".
The presidents Of said boards TO s'p-
point the committee.
(Signed) F. c. SPINkS.
Adopted by the Common Councll
of Alexandria May "a, 1910.
Action of Common Council con-
Cured in by the Board of Aldermen
May "a. 1910.
And thereupon l.. S. Kirby, wit
ness called before the said commit
tee, testified as follows:
The Chairman: Mr.. Kirby.
would like to ask you if you think
that the Alexandria Electric Light
people are living up to their contract
with the city: are they giving the
city what it is paying for!
Mr.. Kirby: No; the contract calls
for a 1000 candle power lamp. ana
they are not furnishing that.
The Chairman: Can they furnish
it?
Mr.. Kirby: hardly think so. At
the present time il is not termed any
more candle power. There are no
1000 candle power lamps, as II Is
called. 1t is termed watts ana am
peres. That was new law lnstl-
tuted some years ago. Al one time
they made lamps the same as the
city has here and they we're deter
mined according to candle power.
The city used to run lamps that were
measured in candle power. but theS
usod then the divided arc and the
fun arc. but they don't call them by
candle power now. \ 1000 candle
power lamp would run say about nine
and half amDereS.
The Chairman: If | remember the
contract that the city had with Man
deville. of Philadelphia, they were To
take down everything that was con
nected with the old plant and replace
il. You have worked for this com
pany as superintendent until recent
ly?
Mr.. Kirby: Yes. sir.
The Chairman: Have they done
that?
Mr.. Kirby: No, sir.
The Chairman: About how much
of the old wire is still up?
MIR. Kirby: | would judge tina,
there is about onethird OF the Ole
arc wire that was owned by the CIT!
that is in use on the present arc
light system. but not on the hlgr
voltage lines. There is not a grea,
deal on those lines. | Judge thal
they are using now about one-thlrc
OF the old wire that was used by the
city.
The Chairman: Is not that wire
in very bad condition?
Mr. Kirby: 1t is.
The Chairman: The wire wont
give the proper service where the
insulation is Off That interferes
with il to some extent. does it?
Mr.. Kirby: That don't interfere
much The electric light compan!
would be the loser there. But II
case the wires were TO fall the!
would be more dangerous than II
they were insulated. of course.
The Chairman: Is there not Il lo1
of bare ware through these three. sc
that where the insulation is off il i:
bound to cause trouble when it rains
MIR. Kirby: Frequently you SEE
trees burning from it, Less than ;
week ago, in front of MIR. Clapdore,
and in front OF Harrington's stable
too. they burned the trees.
The Chairman: That could D.
remedied to some extent II the wire
were properly insulated?
Mr.. Kirby: If they used tree IN
Sulators. They swing through TN
trees. They can get them. OF course
The Chairman: Where the lnsu
laIion is off the wires and the cur
rent escapes. does the same Voltas
reach the lamps as where there
insulation?
MIR. Kirby: Supposed to, yes; be
cause the amperes register the cur
rent coming back, not the outgoln:
current In some stations they reg
lister the current going out ana com
ing back, too, but il is the RUE
most of them to register the curreu
when il comes back, BECAUSE !
course, if you register seven collilil
in YOU must have seven going Out.
The Chairman: Do you remehaoe
Mr.. Belts. the expert who maze
examination of the plant sho
while after it was installed. and IN;
the company then acknowledged IN;
the lamps were not 2:0oo canu
power lamps. but they said they We
going TO take them down ana INST
new ones. Did they do that?