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 Behalf of Alexandria Electric
Continued from Page 4

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 electric
light companies?
Answer: / have never been sum
moned as a witness, but / have know
ledge of cases that have come up I'M
der similar conditions 10 those that
exist here.
Question: In the contract between
the Alexandria Electric Light Com
pany and the City of Alexandria, 1t is
provided that the company shall fur
nish eighty-fve 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 l
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 u 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 p ampere lamp
as usually and generally operated
considered a 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 il 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 it give 1000 ac-
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 esti-
mated it in candle power.
Question: Was that term 1000
candle power ever a 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 a lamp
consuming $50 watts.
Question: If these lamps at pres
ent in use in the streets of AleXan-
dria can be shown to consume 45O
watts or more, would they meet the
requirements of this contract, in your
opinion?
Answer: They would.
Question: Have you any personal
knowledge as to the amount of wat
tage or watts consumed by these
lamps now in use here?
Answer: | have looked over the
log sheets for the past few months
and from the registration of the
watt meters on the arc lamp circuits
| find that the average consumption
of these lamps is 81 watts.
Question: That consumption, | un.
derstand, is more than is usually sup
posed to be given under contract Of
this kind?
Answer: Four hundred and fifty
watts would exactly fulfill the usua
requirements of a 2 1000 candle power
lamp. ! might add that the y am
mere alternating lamp would operate
at 491 watts, when properly adjust
ed.
Question: Can you state the tota
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 months
of operation. In September the kilo
watt hours output was 1922; TO
October it was
Mr.. Fisher (interrupting): Is tina
from the records of the Alexandra
, Electric Company?
Mr.. Taught: Yes, sir.
MIR Fisher: ! think it would b.
better to have the original.
Mr.. Harlow: Here is the original
Mr.. Taught: This memorandum
was made from The original. In DC
/ tober it was 10, 453; in Novembe
1873: in December 1880; Janu
airy 1920; February 5,425; Marc
= 1913; April 1913; May 1879
The record shows that there wer
eighty-six lamps in service. Nigh
! add that the figures | gave for tn
average watt consumption of eac
, lamp were based on the May record
! have not figured them for the othe
: months, but judging from the appear
y ance of the figures ] should say tn
result would be practically the same
= Those are the figures recorded by tn
meters.
.. Question: Judging from the fis
ures you have before you would 20
e or would you not say, in your opiI
ion, that from those figures thes
e lamps are measuring up to the n
I quirements of the contract quote
f from?
/ Answer: l should say that th