Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-01-01

The history of street lighting in Au-
gusta. and especially in Water street,
is interesting Indeed the lighting of
the city is closely linked with the pro-
gress and growth of Augusta.
Two cuts in Norths history taken In
1858 show the absence of any street
lights either IN Water Street or on the
East side. Kerosene lighting seems to
have been the pioneer method, AT the
meeting of the City Council June !,
1863 the following order was passed
Ordered, That the Mayor be and is
herehy authorized and DIRECTED to
cause Water Street to be lighted as
far north as the junction with the
Northern Avenue"
sometime later gas lights replaced
kerosene lamps on Water Street. The
first recorded reference to gas
lamp" is in 1873 and relates to the
placing of such a lamp at the junction
of Water and Gage streets.
In 1888 the city made its first con-
tract for electric street lights. On a
rush order in preparation for the re-
turn of Mr.. Blaine from Europe, in
the fall of that year, four arc lights
were placed IN Water Street and four
in State Street. The same year con-
tract was made with the Kennebec
Light & Heat Company to run five
years from January l, 1885, This con-
tract provided for fifty-four are lights.
OF this number forty-seven were to
burn till midnight and seven till sun
rise. The annual rental for these fifty
four arc lights was $4,000. By the terms
of this agreement each additional arc
light to burn till midnight cost 5000.
and SIPS if burned till sunrise.
In 1898 a new contract for five years
was made with the Kennebec Light &
Heat Company and provided for not
less than eighty arc lights, and fifteen
incandescent lights. Not fewer than
fifty of this number of arc lights were
to burn till sunrise. The annual rental
for these arc lights was S7b. Ten of the
incandescent lights were to burn till
midnight and five till sunrise at an an
nual rental of from $40 TO s25.
A later contract made between the
city and the same Company, and expir-
ing in 1904, provides for lo6 arc lights.
AZ series lights and II incandescent
lgntS, not IeWtI lIidI ou ohN i46ie' w
burn till sunrise at an annual rental of
$780, nor fewer than 40 arc lights to
burn till midnight at an annual rental
of $50. Twenty-eight incandescent
lights were to burn till daylight.
Within ten years after the first in
stallation the number of street lights
increased from 81 in 1889 TO 1bs in 1899
The annual rental for these lights for
the same period increased from $4,000 to
$500.
In 1907 the arc lights had increased to
1l5 and the :ncandescent lights TO 40
The contract made in 1907 with the
Kennebec Light q Heat Company pro
vided that all lights in the city shoulu
burn till sunrise, the annual rental De-
ing fixed at $65 for each arc liGht ana
$50 for each series light. Dec. ls, 1918,
there were in use in the city l2b arc
lights and SO series lights with to-
tai annual rental of S10,6S0.
In this year 1918 another step was
taken in the matter of lighting Water
Street. The standard lighting system
was installed only after mature dehp-
GRAFTON. careful consideration of all the
facts, and unanimous action In the CITY
Council. Cities using the new system OF
lighting were visited and the cost
weighed as over against the dement's
certain TO accrue to the city as a grow
ing center Of business and communl-
ty of homes.
That these new lights, believed 70
be both a commercial asset and NOR
al agent, were installed this year rath- !
or than last year or the year before |
ia largely because Of the fact that for
the first time contract especially
to the city could De
made for the installation OF the sys-
tenn. The city of Lewiston, for in
stance, appropriated last year $4,000
to buy and install the poles and Mt