THE ADDRESSES, LECTURES, ETC., OF 



town throughout the country, but also for colonies, and for foreign 

 parts, we are forced to the conclusion that their ambition is some- 

 what in excess of their power of performance ; and that no pro- 

 visional order should be granted except conditionally on the work 

 being executed within a reasonable time, as without such a pro- 

 vision the powers granted may have the effect of retarding instead 

 of advancing electric lighting, and of providing an undue en- 

 couragement to purely speculative operations. 



The extension of a district beyond the quarter of a square mile 

 limit, would necessitate an establishment of unwieldy dimensions, 

 and the total cost of electric conductors per unit area would be 

 materially increased ; but independently of the consideration of 

 cost, great public inconvenience would arise in consequence of 

 the number and dimensions of the electric conductors, which could 

 no longer be accommodated in narrow channels placed below the 

 kerb stones, but would necessitate the construction of costly 

 subways veritable cava electrica. 



The amount of the working charges of an establishment com- 

 prising the parish of St. James's would depend on the number of 

 working hours in the day, and on the price of fuel per ton. 

 Assuming the 64,000 lights to incandesce for six hours a day, the 

 price of coal to be 20s. a ton, and the consumption 2 Ibs. per 

 effective horse power per hour, the annual charge under this head, 

 taking 8 hours' firing, would amount to about 18,300, to which 

 would have to be added for wages, repairs, and sundries, about 

 6,000 ; for interest, with depreciation, at seven and a-half per 

 cent., 13,300 ; and for general management say, 3,400 ; making 

 a total annual charge of 41,000. or at the rate of 12s. 9%d. per 

 incandescence lamp per annum. To this has to be added the 

 cost of renewal of lamps, which may be taken at 5s. per lamp 

 of 16 candles, lasting 1,200 hours, or to 9s. per annum, making a 

 total of 21s. Q^d. per lamp for a year. 



In comparing these results with the cost of gas lighting, we 

 shall find that it takes 5 cubic feet of gas, in a good argand 

 burner, to produce the same luminous effect, as one incandescence 

 light of 16-candle power. In lighting such a burner every day, 

 for six hours on the average, we obtain an annual gas consumption 

 of 10,950 cubic feet, the value of which, taken at the rate of 

 2s. Sd. per thousand, represents an annual charge of 29s., showing 



