Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-28
Maj. Judson Has Scheme for
Brilliant Illumination.
DETAILS ARE KEPT SECRET
Commissioner Has Been Studying
Systems in Other Cities.
LEGISLATION BEING PREPARED
Proposition to Build Electric Plant
at Great Falls Is Receiving
Careful Consideration.

Something startling in the way of cleo
trical lighting for the streets and avenues
Of Washington may be expected when
Commissioner Judson announces a new
plan for the illumination of the city.
Maj Judson returned to the District
building today after an absence of sew
eral days, during which time he inspected
the lighting of several towns and cities.
but principally Boston. The lights around
the new Pennsylvania railroad station IN
New York were given much study by the
Commissioner. and the understanding Is
that the electrical engineers of the Dis
trict will be directed to formulate some
what similar plan for tine lighting OF the
space around the White House and La
fayette Park
The plans which Commissioner JudSon
has i'm mind are entirely a secret with the
commissioners at present. but they all
dovetail into the one proposition, Wnich
commissioner Judson expresses by SAYING
that the District ought to get more light
Tor the money it Is spending.
Saw New Light in Boston.
Boston he said today. gets more
light than we do here. ! was especially
Interested i'm one style of arc lamp which
they have at the Hub. These were
enormous lights. which give three times
as much light as any We have and cost
only ~ per cent more to maintain.
Il have the plans for better lighting all
in mind and legislation is being prepared.
but just at present j cannot make them
public
las for the project to build and main
lain a municipal lighting plant at Great
Falls, four surveying parties are now at
work there. The geological survey has
al appropriation for that kind of work.
and 1t Is very good to us in advance
of the appropriation which We will ask
for
Four field parties of the United
states seolosical survey now are
working at Great Falls and in the
vicinity. preparing a more detailed top
o-raphical map than the regular atlas
sheet of the survey covering that re-
gion. The report of the survey VIII
be ready for submission to the Sec
retary of the Interior in about a month,
and then will be sent to the District
Commissioners
The records of the river at mat point
for the past decade eresayailable. and
show the mean high anu, low water
for that period.
There have been half dozen reports
on the capabilities of the falls for pro-
ducing power. but the most recent of
tneSo was In 1917. Hc pICSCHt lCPOit
l. being made without regard to the
findings of previous reports.
1t was estimated when the last OF these
was made that there was between 5000
and 700 horsepower available Since
that time however, water power plants
have been made more effective in output
and more economical in installation and
operation.
Some Engineering Difficulties.
At the same time there are some seri-
Gus engineering difficulties in the way OF
plant at that point. The topography is
not of the best, and If plant were in
stalled il is probable that some novel en-
gineering features would have to be in
troduced.
The fact that a power plant at the fall:
was seriously discussed just before a
steam plant was installed for furnishing
light and power to Washington is taken
by some as an Indication that the plan
il not feasible from d commercial stand
point 1t is held by others that there
are business reasons as well as engineer
ing difficulties in the way of such a
pIant
The land at the falls is all in private
hands and favorable report would be
apt to send prices up. At the same time
if IL were decided to establish govern
ment plant there condemnation proceed
inys probably would be invoked to secure