New Britain herald., 1914-05-09
DT. Bell, Manager Campbell and
 City Official Hold Conference.
EXPERT EXPLAINS SYSTEM IN USE
BOlrd of Public Works Has About $1,5OO It Can Use For Lights Taxpayers Dissatisfied With Con- iitiOnS at Present.


 Dr. Bell, of Boston, the citys light ing expert; Manager Campbell, of the United Electric Light & Water com .pany: the board of public works and the lighting committee held a session last evening to take up the many complaints that have been heard re- garding the new lighting system in vogue about the city; having the flaming arcs in the first zone, the large incandescent lamps in the second zone and the tiny sixty watt lamps in the outskirts.
 Taxpayers Not Pleased.
 Tn opening the discussion Chairman F.. N. Humphrey stated that the new system, whereby the arc, lights were removed from the corners in the outskirts and sixty watt lamps put in to replace them, has caused great dissatisfaction among the taxpay CTS.
 pr. Bells Theory.
 Dr. Bell at once explained the . theory of this layout, saying that lights have been placed at every point where there was formerly an arc lamp and in many intervening spots. He then said that the next step in the layout was to give a good, gen. seral illumination. He had discovered from his investigations that the old plan in the city's lighting had been to place an arc light at every corner with the idea that such lamp so placed would illuminate the thorough fare for at least 200 feet in all directions. This was proved imprac- ticabIe and the result was that the smaller incandescent lamps had been placed at various spots in between the arc lamps, giving the whole city a jumbled up mess of arcs and incan- descents.
 Saved $2,OOO on Contract. \ When he assisted in laying out the present system his first idea, he said, was to get degree of uniformity in the lighting of Main street and those other streets having a greater amount of traffic. Then on the other streets . where the old arcs were removed two Sor three incandescent lamps took their places so that, while the fellow at the corner does not get as much yS people between corners have a bet ter light distributed. Dr. Bell called attention to the fact that under his layout he had saved the city about $2,0OO on their contract, so. that in case they needed to increase the ser vice they still have that amount to draw on.
 Opposed to Mixing Lights.
 
 In reply to question from Chair man Humphrey the expert stated that ; if al higher powered incandescent lamp is placed on the corners and a a weaker lamp is placed between there is a strong tendency for a general agitation for these same high powered lamps in between the streets. He de- clared it to be a poor policy to install the higher powered lamps in with the smaller lamps except in some cases of absolute necessity.
 Chairman Humphrey told Dr. Bell that the board has about $1,5OO more that could be expended for lighting, and he was informed that it could be used to advantage. He also advised more of the 200 watt lamps in prefer ence to the sixty watt lights. It was then suggested that three automobiles
 
 advisors on tour of investigation about the city.
 Lighting Not All Right.
 At present the small incandescent lamps are placed about 300 feet apart and Dr. Bell agreed that this was too far apart, but he said that 200 feet would be too near, and to get them at distance between these two would necessitate new poles which would be bad idea. It was figured out that fifty or sixty more 200 watt lamps can be placed about the city at an estimated cost of about s1.5o0.
 New Lamps Coming.
 A new electric light, still in it's ex- perimental stage, was described by Dr. Bell as one of the coming things in lighting. This is the nitrogen lamp. The bulb, instead of being a vacuum, is filled with nitrogen and therefore the filament burns with a greater degree of brilliancy, giving the same light at a less cost or a better light at the same cost. Manager Campbell assured the board that as soon as these lamps become practical he will be only too glad to make the city proposition on them. The present lamps are replaced, he said, every 1000 hours, or four times each year, unless some individual lamp be- comes broken or worn out before then when that is replaced at once.
 ToJthe board pr. Bell declared that he was not in favor of long arm for the incandescent lamps on account of It's very ungainly look and stated that hal