Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-15
Confer on Use.
Headlights on
TrOlleys and Autos

occupying all the forenoon anu
practically all the the afternoon, at
the office of the Public Utilities
Commission between the commission
and representatives of Maine electric
railroad companies and manufac-
turers of headlight devices on the
general subject of headlights being
the first steps in the formulation by
the commission of rules and regula-
tons for the use of such headlights,
as provided in Chapter $50 of the
Public Laws of 1921. The meeting
was purely informal. Colonel Albert
Greenlaw, in charge, announcing that
it was for the purpose Of obtaining
information only. The attendance
was about 20.
The commission had sent to each
company a set of suggestions as to
headlight distance required for diff
ferent speed cars, as follows, to serve
as a basis of discussions:
speed Is miles per hour, inside
city village limits; should have mini
mum pickup distance on track of
from 100 to 200 feet
0PSSo ~ A1iilSo pei llouiS ootoiuS
Of city or village limits; shall have
minimum pickup distance on track
from 800 to 400 feet.
speed 80 or 35 miles per hour
outside of city or village limits;
shall have minimum pickup distance
on track of at least 500 feet.
Speed 40 to 60 miles per hour
outside of city or village limits;
should have minimum pickup dis
lance on track of from 600 to 500
feet.
"All such headlights must be
maintained in good condition"
Elmer E. Parkman, chief inspec-
tor for the commission, reported on
tests made Monday evening with diff
ferent headlights, on the Winthrop
line. as follows:
J-12-Y, General Electric, ESQ
watt. gave 45O feet pickup.
Type P, Grouse Kinds arc, 400
feet.
Type P, Grouse Kinds (McKee
, lens) 230 feet.
Type L. A. A., 600 feet.
S. D. p, ESQ watt, SIS feet.
D. G. p, 500 watts, Ats feet.
w. D. S., "a watt, ESQ feet; with
Mckee lens, 100 rect.
Type p. $50 feet; with Mckee lens,
ESQ feet.
9-inch reflector Golden Glow. "a
watt, $50 feet; 12-inch, ESQ watt,
$50 feet; 12-special, Especially AIS
feet.
J-12-Y, General Electric Co., ESQ
watt, $40 feet.
Mr.. Parkman invited two repre-
over the subject of headlights, and
K. w. Mackall, of the Grouse Kinds
Co., Syracuse, n. Y, and Z. G. Nc
Allister of the Electric Service Supply
Co., of Philadelphia did so, very
thoroughly as. to conditions in diff
ferent sections Of country and the
different requirements.
Summed up. they agreed that
what the railroads want is a light
that will protect them and without
the glare or intensity, to which so
much objection is made on both
electrics and automobiles. They
both agreed also that the intensity
cannot be secured without the glare,
saying no known device will give that
result. And, to get light that will
furnish the necessary pickup dis
tance-that is the distance ahead of
the car that objects may be seen
requires a strong light. AS Mr..
Mackall said:
What they want is daylight con-
ditions in the nighttime, and you
can't get it. You've got to have the
glare, if the light is strong"
The two men were questioned free
ly by the railroad men and the COM
missioners, bringing out much inter-
esting and valuable information.
The rest of the meeting was de-
voted to reports from the railroad
men as to the kind of headlights in
use; how much distance it required
to stop the various types of cars
in use; and as to whether the lights
gave the necessary pickup dis
tances.
General Manager Alfred Sweeney
of the Androscoggin & Kennebec
GlCStI ~ halfway WSuL OVER IuS Sit
uation on his road very thoroughly.
He thought that this law had been
passed to relieve the automobiles
from the glare of lights on electrics
on roads parallel with highways and
that if the electric roads were forced
to change headlights, great howl
would go up again, and the roads
would be forced to abandon them. 1t
would cost his road $4,000 or $4,000
to change headlights and he thought
it would be unjust to the road to be
made to do it.
He asserted that the headlight
was more for warning to the pub
lie, rather than turning night into
day: also that he knew of no acct
dents in his experience due to the
lights.
He said that the railroad men were
keenly alive to the need OF safety
appliances and improvements. but
he did not know Of anything that had
happened to make a necessity for an
extreme pick up distance. He quot
ed a decision of the Massachusetts,
Public Utility Commission. which