Electricity Vs. Gas

The followlng article ia taken from tbe Lejrislative Journal of Monday, Feb. lfltli, ind is a careful compariion of tbe value f the two methodi of inpplytng artificial ight, coal and electrlclty. Mr. Meyiis was the architect of the Si ate capítol, ind lia given the subject 11 thofOttgh tomparlson. Read it Dktuoit, Mimi., Feb. 6. 1885. To tftf Honorable Senaat and Boute of Bepressntatite, Canring, Miri,.: As architect of tbe capítol I deaire U ;all your attentlon briefly to tho great idvantajres of au iiicandescent electiie liglit systcm tor llghting the State oapltol, aeylums, and otliei public building throughout. This systeiu of llghtlng bal been proven by use i erery part of the workl to be tborougbly roliuble, aml has reacbed such st:ij;i' of perfectloii that thcre l no reaaon why the leglilatnre iboald longer delay, but sbcrald profit at once by the advantagat which it presente over liie present BTttem of lichting by g.is. I wUh to oall your attentlon to a few of the reasoni why electriclty shoukl bc substituted tor gas. 1TS 8UPBEI0B BHIILIANCY. It is a wcll-kiiown tact that electric light is whitcr, is theretore natarally more deilrnble, produces le?s strüining of tho yo, "'I produces a more pleaaant effect. Gas is trequently ot so poot anii yellow a character as to be entlrely Inadpqaate m t Itjfht, and tlie eye are Injured by endeavoriiig to use them uoder iuoh circuinlaiui -. Qai la oftoll si-eatly diniined and Interfered with by water accuniulating in the pipes and metéis, and coid weather frequently inteifercs to such an extent as 10 niake it Impowlble to iiiite at all. The incaudescent light is the most perfect form of artificial Illumlnatin yet produced; it is brilliant and pertectly steady. rrij BcoNomr. The saving to the State, from tbe beginiiinr by Ihe use of electricitv wlll be veiy re:a. The reductioD ï i ¦ animal costover gas [which at present is over six thousand dolían per year) w i 11 very quickly pay tor the entire appawtuii ana the StMte be very WOn able to praclically cut ofl' tliis large Item ot' expense, and have at its service in tbe meantlme and thereafter a light fir more sati.-f.ictory n every respi-ct. The wholc ontliiy would be comparatively sniull, aiul the experfae OÍ sustaiuing tíie plant merel? nominal, there le':ng no Deoessity of any additionul eaiployes, Blnce tbere is only requiíed the service of (be ordlnary angineer to kecp a general supeiTWon over the dyuamos wliun íiiiiiiiiíg. Theae luaoliines inay be uil looated in one place in the boiler rooms. The llgbU can be turned on or off, elther independenUy or Id groups, aro entirely uiuler th-a control ol the engiueer, can be substituted tor gas iu every cas-, either in chandellers, wall brack't;;, or as desk lifíhts, md it has been ilemonstrated by expeneiice that the cost of repairs on the apr&ralusla luís tlmnoue per cent, per annum. As the architect ot' the capítol, I would lofbrm yon tli it all the flues and other Deoewaiy cbanneU for tlie reception of wirea liave already bten provided in the original eonstnic'tiou of the building, so as to avoid any unnecessary expense in cutting the walls, or disturbing the finish, and that it whs my desire originally to put n the wlrea, but wsí overruled upon tliat pulnt. PI.U1TY Oí ATM08PHBBK. There is no place where a pure and healtht'ul atmoíphere is more eamntlal th'an in the legislative hall where oiir law maken are looking after the public welfare. The greater portion of their time is expended in thelr respective chambera or oowmlttee room-, where artificial li;lit is constantly used, and where they are often requlred to breathe air of the foiilt-st character, great'y and rapldly detrimental to their bealth. In the Use of gas it is well-known that the atmoaphere is rondered impure by consunnng its oxygen, t-hereby leiving it with a larpe percentage of uitlogen, lt also gives off ammoniacal and sulpliurous acid gases, and rapidly vltintestbeatmotphere. Thcconsumption of gas results in the production of a lare qnantily of water, which condense lipón the piciureí, furnitui'e, etc, and add to the general vitiation. Leakage frequently occurrlng in gas pipes give riíe to vile, unlicalthful and iujurious odors. KADIATED IIEA.T. The heat.racliatcd from a Urge nuniber if gas burifers is very debilituting and ippressive. In many ot' the large inanuf.iloiicB of the Easl, jj.is was displaced uy the electric light several years ago, the employés prefemng the itrong two tliou-and candle power are light to the sixteei) canille power gas lihts, on the ground that with the are llgbU even of this enormouï candle power, there was no perceptible risc in the tempeniture, and no vitiation of the atmosphere, nor depletion ot' its oxygen. One of the great meritt of the inoandesci-nl cleetric light is its not vitiating the cjiialiiv of the atinosphere in the least degree. i is encloved in a vacuum bulb from whii-h tlicre is alisolutely no escape of iiiy char.icter, no oxygen is eonsumed no vapois. riiiiei or snioke are riven off and oonsequently after a room has beei lighted fur leveral houn, the air remains cool and pure. 8AFETY. With gns, (langer from tire or explosions is alwayi Imminent, due to lcakages of gas pipes at places in a buildiiif? where t is Imponible to detect, careleatnew Ii llghting or extingnishiug, etc. One o the moat prolltic causes of accident is in jury to gas pipes, and the strain ant lonsening of joints dne to the nnavoida ble st-ttling of a building. Again, explo sions are imminent in a public building llke the capítol, in which groups ol iifchi are arrangcd in the fonn ol comnninica tl ng jets, abould anv group or any burn ers fall to light, tbe etcaplng gas Is llabl to qolckly oaase in explosión With in candesceñt electric liyhts there i.s abw lutely no danser. There is no leakii; of noxious or explosive or inflununabl KABSes; no danger from from the lightin of matches ; no poi-sibility of igniting any exterior object at the light Itrnlf, lor th light betog withln a vacuüm bulb, i instantly eztiuguished and dissipiitei Into vapor sboold the glaai be craeke or broken. OntSnOTDUR OF OUTSTAHDIKa SAI CO) PAMKH OB OTIII H OOXTBOI The Slate Capítol has its owu stesi bollen, it has its own water and heatln apparataij it ouglit to possess also it own llgliting nppamtus. It shonld liav t because of its superior illuminating uaütics, its healthfulness, itg safety, and onvenienco, as well as itg great economy over tito enormous anumnts occssarily )aid for gas. The incandcsccnt light for the interior, and the are light for the exterior, is a irovisinn in the specifications for nearly til i-iiiiilar modern structures. I have pecifled it for the Texas State capio), Of which I am the architect, and in tiiiny other institutions. It ought, as a DMMiro of sitfuty, to be introduced also u our asyluni!', prisoiiH and other buildng, where a slight outlay will add great ecurity to Ufe, property, and valuable records wliile proving from the outset :i niuasure of economy. From the plans of the capítol in my office, I can, if you o order, furnish a specification of the leoetHtry llghtlng plant, and estiiii.itcs f ts cost. The legisliiture should act at once in this matter, and cnahle the state and it represcntutives to protlt at once by the best system of lighting that has yet been lerlsed, líi-inectfullv. etc..