The Washington herald., 1922-04-23
APPROVE LIGHTING
SYSTEM AS MODEL
FOR LINCOLN ROAD
Method Endorsed by Elk.
perts Is Economical
And Simple.

silly for lighting main highways
has been recognized for some time.
Tho technical committee of high
way engineers and other experts
which determined the specifications
for the ideal section the Lincoln
Highway Association win build
this year as an object lesson,
unanimously agreed upon the ne
cessity Of providing for the illumi-.
nation of the roadway. The prob.
lem OF how the most ideal illumi-
nation from every standpoint. in
GLIDING that of economy, should be
provided. was passed on to the
Illuminating engineers Of the Gen
eral Electric Company. headed by
w. DARCY Ryan.
As a result of the experiments
conducted in the wonderful illumi-
mating laboratories of the General
Electric Company at Schenectady,
the most advanced type of high
way lighting unit that has YET
made its appearance will be in
stalled along the ideal section OF
the Lincoln Highway in Lake
County. Indiana. this year. The
design determined upon is expected
to be of far-reaching Importance
as the next ten years will see a
general acceptance of the neces-
sity OF lighting main highways
subjected to heavy night traffic.
Lighting Plan simple, Cost Low.
The lighting unit developed is
extremely simple in design and
economical in regard to installa-
ton. cost and operation. as well as
maintenance. 1t embodies an en-
tirely new principle for collecting
the light rays and casting them
only where needed. There is no
need for lighting the fields adjacent
! to a highway and engineers have
spent years studying methods of
! preventing such a waste Of power.
! In the ideal section lighting unit
| this is accomplished by a nest of
reflectors-a series Of three, one
| within the other. These reflectors
serve to catch the light which
would be otherwise reflected up
ward and outward onto the ad-
| joining fields and cast IL upon the
surface of the road. while at the
same time preventing any posi-
| bility Of glare the danger and an
noyance of which is appreciated by
| every motOrist The new lighting
unit has been named "Novalux'' by
| the General Electric engineers
| The efficiency of the nested reriec-
tors is best appreciated when il is
/ stated that 800 candlepower is
/ obtained from each end of the re-
| Hector, with only $50 candle
| power lamp in the fixture The
| bracket holding the lamp and re-
| Hector is affixed to an ornamental
| concrete pole thirty-five feet high
| and is adjustable in both the hori-
| zontal and vertical positions. per-
hitting the illumination OF hill
sides and curves in the road.
Lights Operated Automatically.
One of these units will be in
| stalled every $50 feet along the
| edge OF the paving on the ideal
section, alternate lighting stand
ards being on opposite sides of the
road. All power wires for light
ing will be underground and the
lights controlled by an entirely au-
tomato oil time switch. which can
be adjusted to turn them on and
off at any determined hour in the
evening and the morning
That the installation developed
is exceedingly economical is indi-
Gated by the carefully figured cost
of operation presented by the Cen
eral Electric engineers.
The cost per unit per year is
figured at s23.25. and. as there are
twenty lighting standards with
their lamp units per mile, it will
be seen that the cost of lighting
the mile Of roadway during the
necessary hours each day for
year would be s465, this including
maintenance on the lamps and the
current supplied. 1t figures out, on
basis of Is cents per foot of
roadway per year. which is GER
tainly cheap considering the great
benefits derived from the illumi-
nation. among which are:
Accident prevention.
Increased night traffic. relieving
day congestion.
Decreased running time - in
creased road capacity.
Additional comfort and pleasure
provided those driving at night
through relief of eye strain. and
the elimination of the necessity of
switching on and off DINNERS when
passing other vehicles.
Many Secondary Benefits.
The subsidiary benefits of rural
highway lighting must be also
considered. Power lines required
for rural illumination bring cleo
tricity to the farm, increase real
estate values, tend to the extern
sion of city building out along the
roadways. and discourage automo-
bile hold-ups.
The installation perfected for the
ideal section has already been
tested out successfully on the AL
any-Schenectady road. where the
installation has met with the
unanimous approval of those using
the road.
The General Electric Company is
contributing its services and the
necessary equipment for the illu-
mination of the ideal section. ap-
preciating the great educational
value of the project made possible
through the United States Rubber
COMMANDS substantial contribution