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

on account of not getting the current
your contract calls for?
Mr.. Kirby: Undoubtedly.
The Chairman: If you will take
this agreement that the city entered
into-it is only a question of whether
they are living up to what they
agreed.
Mr.. Kirby: You will have to have
a test made. and see just what your
actual candle power is. II would be
best to take one lamp of the street
and have It tested.
Mr.. Hill: Don't you know that
these lamps are only 900 candle
power?
Mr.. Kirby: No, to the best of my
knowledge and experience, | judge
they are.
Mr.. Hill: Do you think it exceeds
LOO?
Mr.. Kirby: | do not. 1t would
not with the Go amperes, and DON
think ii would now with the voltage
boosted up. One of these lamps were
taken to Washington and tested and
Mr.. Uhler told me that Mr.. Belts
said that 1t tested little over 900.
That was about three or four years
ago. Up to that time | think our
books will show that the Alexandria
Electric Company had been paying
the city a rebate. When Mr.. Belts
made his report he reported that it
was all right now that the lamps had
been changed, and then the rebates
were stopped.
MIR. Spinks: You say those lights
were not changed. Were they not
changed back again?
Mr.. Kirby: Not to my knowledge.
saw the way bills, and there was a
requisition sent in for fifty-seven am
pere lamps. Mr.. Darrah takes down
| think about fifteen lights on King
Street, and put up new lamps and the
remainder were placed at the most
important corners, that is as far as
they went. The rest of the lamps are
still old lamps.
Mr.. Harrison: If that is a fact,
why is it that the lamps that are on
King Street that are supposed to be
the best, give the poorest light-that
is they seem to.
Mr.. Kirby: There are three cir
cults. The lamps are divided up on
three circuits Ali three of those cir
cults are supposed to get the same
amount of current. 1t is absolutely
impossible to get a steady current in
arc lights, but that don't show in arc
lights like it does in incandescent
lights, and they don't show on the
light.
Mr.. Harrison: / don't know that
these lamps really give less light, but
the lights on the dark streets look
more bright.
Mr. Kirby: | suppose that is be-
cause they are dark. The stores help
to light UP King Street.
Mr.. Harrison: | have noticed that
those lamps will often be burning at
one time very brightly, and then in
two or three minutes the light goes
down until it is very dark. and then
It burns up again.
Mr.. Kirby: That Is from the feed
ing of the carbon. The lower carbon
is stationary. The top carbon is fix
ed in a carbon holder, which slides
down from the top. 1t will throw up
the carbon and they will fall down
too close. You can hear them hiss.
II is because the arc is too short.
They are too close together Pretty
soon the coil will pull up the carbon
again. and the light gets bright
again. The carbons are anywhere
from one-half to three quarters of an
inch apart. Ii comes down to feed
and then goes back again. That
causes a pulsation in the voltage.
One or two lamps like that will affect
all the others on the Circuit That
variation in the feeding is almost
impossible to stop. / think your best
policy would be to take one of these
lamps down and have it tested. one
of the old original Go lamps-not
the one that has I ampere coils in it.
Mr.. Spinks: Here's the report
and various members of the Commit
tee on light have expressed them
selves as dissatisfied with the light
furnished by the street arc lamps
In that connection | would state that
the contract with the company says
that the lights shall be of the latest
type, inclosed alternating arc lamps
Of 1000 candle power Mr.. Kirby
were these lamps the latest type?
Mr. Kirby: No, sir.
Mr.. Spinks: There was at that
time : q ampere lamps on the mar
ket?
MIR. Kirby: Yes, sir. There were
four standard lamps at that time. |
prefer the Westinghouse lamp my
self
Mr.. Spinks: Here is part Of Mr..
Belts report concerning the lighting
of streets. He states that the posi-
ton of the city of Alexandria is ex-
of In
Springs. From this 1t will be seen
that the lamps now in use are not
equivalent to the so-called 1000 can
die power lamps. If you are salts
fed to retain the lamps now in use,
a reduction should be made for
them, and they have you say at this
time about one-third Of those old
lamps in use?
Mr. Kirby: Yes, sir
Mr. lSpinks: We are getting about
the same light we got from the old
&C. ampere lamps?
Mr. Kirby: The best proof of that
is that the Alexandria Electric Com
pany at one time did pay rebates to
the city
Mr.. Spinks: At one time they did,
that was before the II ampere lights
were installed. In that report Mr..
Belts don't claim that y ampere
lamps are equivalent to lamps of
1000 candle power.
Mr.. Kirby: No, sir.
Mr.. Spinks: He refers to this
Colorado Springs case decision. What
kind of lamp did they have? Was
it the same kind we have?
Mr.. Kirby: | don't know. IL was
practically the same case as this the
Colorado Spring case against the Hy-
dro Electric Company. think they
were &c lamps.
Mr.. Spinks: Colorado Springs was
not stopped from claiming rebates. and
the experts on both sides unanimous