Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-06-29
Continuation of Testimony Heard
Before Special Committee of City
Council to Examine into Electric
Light Situation.
Testimony in Rehaf of Alexandria Electric CO
Continued from Page 4

ton in Alexandria?
Answer: ! have been inspecting
the plant, and the equipment and also
the lamps.
Question: Have you had occasion
previous to this hearing to have had
any experience in the matter of the
Interpretation Of electric lighting
contracts between cities and electro
light companies?
Answer: | have never been sum
moned as a witness, but | have know.
ledge of cases that have come up un-
der similar conditions 10 those that
exist here.
Question: In the contract between
the Alexandria Electric Light Com.
rany and the City Of Alexandria, IL Is
provided that the company shall fer
nish eighty-five arc lights for street
lighting purposes, and such addition
al arc lights as the City Council may
from time TO time order, during the
continuance of the contract, that is
for thirty years, all of which arc
lamps so furnished shall be OF the
latest type enclosed alternating arc
lamp of 1000 candle power, and |
ask YOU whether or not from the in
spection you have made today OF the
plant, and the lights now furnished
this city by the Alexandria Electric
Company. in your opinion these lamps
fairly measure up to the contract
specifications?
Answer Granted that those lamps
are operated at 1s ampere, they do
fulfill that specification.
Question: What is the generally
accepted meaning in the electric
lighting business Of enclosed alter
mating arcs of 1000 candle power
lamps?
Answer: Some years ago the Ma
tional Electric Association decided
that the so-called 1000 candle power
lamp should be one consuming $50
watts. and the contracts made in re-
cent years have been based on that
figure.
Question: What is that equivalent
to in ampere, Mr.. Taught?
Answer: That in an enclosed lamp
or in any other type of lamps would
be equivalent to the product of the
ampere and the voltage. The two
terms of ampere and watt are not
necessarily synonymous, and, of
course, you must take into considera-
ton the voltage Of the lamp.
Question:: Is the u ampere lamp
as usually and generally operated
considered 1000 candle power en-
closed lamp?
Answer: 1t is. 1t has been used
as the lamp to meet the requirements
of the so-called 1000 candle power
lamp in a great many contracts. In
fact it a little more than equals the
$50 watt rating.
Question: Is the enclosed alterna-
ting series arc of 1000 candle power
supposed to or can il give 1000 &C
tual candle power?
Answer: No. No street lamp com
monty used ever gave 1000 candle
power or anywhere near it.
Question: How did that term come
to be used?
Answer: From the fact that in the
early days no measurements were
made, and they just estimated the
light given by the lamps and estl
mated it in candle power.
Question: Was that term 1000
candle power ever correct measure
ment of the old lamps even?
Answer: No, sir. And | explained
that what it means in these times
having been so declared, is laml
consuming $50 watts.
Question: If these lamps at pres
ent in use in the streets OF AleXan
dria can be shown to consume 4o'
watts or more, would they meet thu
requirements of this contract, in you
opinion?
Answer: They would.
Question: Have you any persona
knowledge as TO the amount of wat
tage or watts consumed by thes
lamps now in use here?
Answer: | have looked over TIN
log sheets for the past few month
and from the registration of tn
watt meters on the arc lamp circuit
| find that the average consumption
of these lamps is 511 watts.
Question: That consumption, uu
derstand, is more than is usually sun
posed to be given under contract o
this kind?
Answer: Four hundred and fit
watts would exactly fulfill the usua
requirements of a 1000 candle powe
lamp. / might add that the I u an
pere alternating lamp would operat
at 491 watts, when properly adjust
ed
Question: Can you state the tots
output in kilo-watts in the arc ligh
circuits of this plant per month?
Answer: On this sheet of paper
copied the record for several month
; of operation. In September the kllt
watt hours output was 1879; &c
October it WAS
Mr.. Fisher (interrupting) Is thu
from the records of the Alexandra
, Electric Company?
AIr. Taught: Yes, sir.
Mr.. Fisher: think it would /
: better to have the original
5 Mr. Harlow: Here is the origina
/ Mr.. Taught: This memoranda
was made from the original. In o.
t tober it was 13,453: in Novembe
, 1873: in December 1880; Jan,
5 airy 1920; February 1925; Marc
: 1878; April 1913; May 1881
The record shows that there wei
eighty-siX lamps in service. | migl
; add that the figures gave for Il
average watt consumption of eat
) lamp were based on the May recor
/ have not figured them for the 9TH
+ months, but judging from the appea
ance of the figures should say Il
1 result would be practically the sam
: Those are the figures recorded by Il
meters.
:. Question: Judging from the II
ures you have before you would "
e or would you not say, In your Cpl
ion, that from those figures the
e lamps are measuring up to the T
/ quirements of the contract quote
# from?
/ Answer: should say that Il
c lamps are measuring up to the CO