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

what this committee wants is this:
1t has been stated by one of the wit
nesses called before this committee
a former superintendent OF the Alex
andria Electric Light Company
that the Alexandria Electric Light
Company was still using thlrty-hve OF
the old &c ampere lamps and 50 l-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 Quoted 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.)
MIR. Belts: That's an open arc:
that is not the same thing at all.
There is no enclosed arc lamp like
that.
Mr.. Spinks: This don't say that
there is IL 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 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 10 am
pere light. The system has been
changed. and don't care what either
one of these men have to say about
it. They don't know anything about
il. will state that the system as
whole has been changed to IS am
pere lights. Whether it is satlstac-
tory or not is something else. | want
TO 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 Will
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 TINS
manner of trimming the lights, and
they have never paid any attention to
it TO my knowledge. They had not
up 10 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
same ones that were here when they
came here. with the exception OF flf-
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, but 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 look
into the trouble and he said he could
not do anything. Then | had the
station cut down the current, and
after that | had no trouble. The
Committee on Light knows that had
one lamp out during the year from
March goth to March goth. and Mr..
Uhler said that was very good rec
ord. remember he said you had
better have ticket made out and
have it framed. But the result. that
result was from cutting down the
current. You have to do that for the
lamps won't stand it. What do you
think about that?
Mr.. Belts: | have some cores
pondence here which shows about
that. Here is letter dated January
30, 1909. This agreement that | had
with the company was to commence
here with them about the first OF
January, 1909, and this refers to the
coils of the arc lamps. | gave hin
this information about the carbons on
this occasion and again in February
and again in March, and they never
paid any attention to that. You VIII
see in this letter that | recommend
new carbon holders, but the new
holders were never gotten, to my
knowledge. don't believe they were
ever gotten.
MIR, Fisher: You stated that if
satisfactory lamp of 10 ampere were
installed that that would be meeting
the requirements Of this contract!
Mr.. Belts: Yes, sir.
MIR. Fisher: Do you consider the
lamp they have a proper lamp:
Mr.. Belts: No. sir.
MIR. Fisher: DO you think they
are - ampere?
MIR. Belts: Yes. sir.
Mr. Fisher: But they are no
proper lamps?
Mr.. Belts: No, sir.
MIR. Fisher: The light we are nov
getting from them is not sufficient Il
warrant Council in saying that th'
contract has been carried out?
Mr.. Belts: No. sir.
Mr.. Spinks: ! asked Mr.. Kirby |
the lights were not changed baci
again and he said not to his know
ledge. He said that there was
renuistion sent in for fifty lamps ant
that fifteen of them were put up OF
King Street, and that these new
lamps were placed in various parts o
the town but that about one-third 0
the lamps were the old lamps we al
ways had.
Mr. Belts: They have all beef
changed. The coil has been changed
and that is what makes the lamp.
Mr.. Spinks: Don't you think
would have been much better II the
all had been new lamps?
MIR. Belts: 1t don't matter.
Mr.. Spinks: Why was it necessar
to get fifty new lamps if all the oil
lamps would have done after the coll
were changed?
Mr.. Belts: They had been burne
up. some of them. :,
MIR. Spinks: Do you know wheth
or some of them have not been burn
cd nm since June a year ago; sine