Norwich bulletin., 1912-02-27

can be had. Such illumination of the 1 business streets in other cities has
 proved of gfeat value, and it is urged | upon Norwich at the present time by | the Business Mems association. Their | appeal was made before the executive
 committee of the court of common council Monday evening, and the result
 was an interesting discussion of the | merits of the idea culmilnating in the l executive committee at its session di- recting Supt w. F. Bogue of the gas 1 and electrical department to make 1 survey and estimates of the cost of the | projected plan, with a view to giving | the city the best to be had, and in- l clude it in the budget that it may be l acted upon at the annual city meeting i in June.
 Dozen from Association. l Twelve of the members of the Nor | wich Business Mems association met l the committee, Mayor Thayer stating
 at the opening that the committee is 1 always glad to meet any and all of | the sitizens on all subjects, and ex- i pressed pleasure at seeing so many
 present
 H. R. Branch first addressed the
 meeting, urging in his paper the great | advantage and improvement in the | lighting of Main street from Preston ! bridge to Thames square, and up 1 Franklin street would be to the buSi- ness interests of the city. We have | cheap electricity. he said, and therefore we can have lights at low cost He | thought that flaming arches across | the street would proclaim a welcome | to srangers in a convincing manner. | He said the association had not dis cussed details, but would be satisfied l if they could get an improvement over the present lights.
 | Rutherford c. Plaut said he had had great white way in mind for long | time, and referred to strings of electric | lights across the streets of Yonkers, which were lighted from twilight un- l til 10 to 10.30 o'clock in the evening. | People throng the streets there and the
 merchants divide up the cost, each paying his proportion. They have fine l lights and the idea is a success. Supt. Bogue Answers Questions. Frank H. Smith told of the matter coming up over the present lights and upon questioning Supt. Rogue he | learned that the poles are now 125 | feet apart, with a light on about eV- cry other pole through the center of | the city The lights are said to be | 1900 candlepower, but it would be im- | possible to increase their efficiency, and only flaming arcs or more of the 1 present kind will give moer light. MT, l Bogue said that the latest method is ] to erect decorated poles with clus- l ters of incandescent lights on the top, l four being on a level and one above them. In other places these are op- | erated until Il or 12 o'clock at night, after which the top light is burned 1 till morning. The posts are not objec- l tionable, though the arches are in the daytime New Haven has a white way, | recent yestablished. The wires are run underground The magnetic light is in use there, and in the opinion of l the superintendent the cluster lights are the ones which should be the en- deavor to get, as they are the latest and best
 To Alderman Lang, Supt Bogue said that the wires for these lights alone could be put underground in the gut ters and not all the electric light wires need be put under at that time. He had been considering the time when it would be necessary to put them all under, and would plan to run them over Roath and Cliff street. and then through Franklin square to She tucket and Little Water strets, which will overcome the necessity of talk
 
 Norwich Savings society west the wires should be taken down. Last year arrangements were made at the sta | tion to bring the wires out under ground and if a portion could be got ten underground each year 1t would be but a short time before the entire center would be thus taken care or. The superintendent was of the
 opinion that it cost at the rate or about $100 a post, including the hghts and wiring, to erect the system with the iron posts in the club. He read articles on the system in New Haven and Joliet. and in the latter place the ornamental tungsten lighting sys- tenn Is used.
 MT. Bague said it would be cheaper to put in flaming arc lights instead of the other system and the putting of the wires underground. The tungsten light requires less current, however, and he thought it would be better to
 wait year or two and get the best, rather than try to experiment. He preferred the tungsten to the magnetic arc.
 c. w. Pearson said the business men felt that the center ought to be better lighted and was told by Supt. Rogue that twice as many of the present arcs could be installed.
 Mayor Gives Lighting History. Mayor Thayer and Alderman Geb- rath spoke of having previously con- 1 sidered additional lights, but because of the expense had been waiting to get the best which was thought ad- 1 visable. Mayor Thayer referred to the l strides made in lighting of the streets here in the last eleven years. He read AI,1 NCf nf Iicrl1 i ing the streets increased from 1890 to 1 1900 from S11,000 t o$1S902. Then the 1 city took the matter up and bought l the plant, with the result that since l then the arc lights have increased 20 per cent in number and the incandes | cents 33 1-3 per cent, and despite the | increase there has been no increase in | the aggregate cost, which in 1900 was l s1S,51S. Where the city was paying l S90 for arc lights before, they are pay l ing bat about S66 now, while the in- l candescents, numbering over 300, ars l had all night for only $500 a year more 1 than the old gasoline lights. To MT. l Pearson. he admitted the taxes of the i old company were lost, but last year | S44,00O was laid aside in the different 1 funds, which far exceeded the old 1 company's taxes. The cost of lighting
 was constantly growing, he said be- 1 fore the city took hold, but it is no
 larger now with more lights. In the
 past two years more lights have been placed than in four and a half years previously,
 William B. McGarry thought it
 would be nice to have more light on
 Franklin square until the system could
 be decided upon, and R. c, Plaut ask ed if it would cost over $206 a month to have strings of incandescents stretched from pole to pole across the
 street and have the merchants apy the sum, for the lights a few hours in the | evening.
 1 Mayor Thayer considered it the duty of the city to light the streets, and
 that 1t should get the best In this F.