Norwich bulletin., 1912-05-29

At the meeting of the Norwich 'Busi- ness Mems association Tuesday even ing at the Buckingham Memorial a re- port of great public interest was pre- sented by it's special lighting commit tee, consisting of H. R. Branche, Frank H. Smith and John E. Tanning, who were unanimous in their recommends tion that the flame arc lamp was the proper one to be used for the White Way plan advocated by the association for the downtown business streets of Norwich.
 The following was their report:
 MT. Chairman;
 Your committee lately appointed in conjunction with the superintendent of the gas and electric works (Mr Bogue) with regard to determining the most practical street lighting system for Norwich to adopt beg leave to report:
 Before starting out I think it was generally understood that there were three systems to be placed in competi- tion, namely: The flame arc the mag netite arc and the tungsten cluster, all of which we saw at work and in com petition in cities widely separated, as well as in the factories of the General Electric company both at Pittsfeld and Lynn, Mass.
 Your committee under the leadership of Superintendent Bogue left Norwich at 3.19 D. m Tuesday, May IA. via the Central Vermont railroad, bound for Westheld Mass, in order mat we might see there in practical use the lately installed magnetic arcs, with underground wiring-lights mounted ] on tall iron posts or poles also the | ornamental cluster tungsten lamps grouped around it's parks, Westfield 1 having both systems working in per | feet harmony, producing a most artis- 1 tic and pleasing effect to the eye. We arrived there in season to see the l lights turned on, and after a carefu | inspection, noting height of lamps from street, distance between poles, brillian- | cy of both systems, shadows cast and | general effect, etc. (our stay lastins upwards of an heur) leaving for Pitts | field in order that we might view tho main street of that beautiful city wher lights were at their best. PittsflelC having within IS months installed th' | flame arc lamps along this broad thor oughfare, and referred to by Its leading l citizens as the very best system or l earth today. Upon our arrival we wer, met by representatives of the Genera Electric company and under thel guidance inspected the street lighting of Pittsfield, much as we did that o Westfield, and later on were taken il charge by one of the large manufac turers of the town and escorted to tn city's electric light station, where W | spent a very profitable hour with tn chief engineer whom we were please to find was formerly a Plainfield, Ct boy, arriving back to the hotel abou l i h1g rfTao
 ous first day as you may judge
 Wednesday we spent the greate
 part of the forenoon at the factory o
 the General Electric company witness ing practical competitive tests of tn
 three systems above mentioned in thei demonstrating roOm leaving for BOs
 tfn at 12.30, arriving at destinatio about ' D. m., giving us another op
 poTtunity that evening to again see tn
 magnetic lamps under different cir
 cumstances than at Westfield. West
 field using the plain globes while Bos
 ton uses the frosted or opal ones
 1 The following morning (Thursday
 We slipped out to Lynn, visiting tn factory of the General Electric com ] pany there. where in our judgment
 far better chance was offered to ge
 right down to all the facts concernin
 tle lLIee systems (diFeduN mentioned
 and after tests in the dark chambe
 lasting upwards of two hours, in tn
 presence of Superintendent Bogue an your committed, under the direction
 experts, who with painstaking an
 seemingly untiring attention to ever
 suggestion of ours, answering oJ
 questions with marked ability an promptness. assisting us to form. a unbiased opinion of what would be fc
 the best interests of all in Norwicl taking into consideration our vindin
 and narrow streets, our overhead wire