Chapter XIII: Lighting Streets

At the present moment the question of lighting streets by electricity is gaining so much attention, that it must necessarily be first considered in connection with the subject of lighting streets: but to enter fully into all the details and comparative merits of electricity and gas as applied to street lighting would entail more space than can be afforded in this work. It may however be of some use, even under the present state of uncertainty, if I attempt to condense as much information upon this necessary part of a surveyor’s duty into as small a compass as possible. Nor must it be forgotten that electric lighting will not easily be adapted in old cities and towns, where, in addition to the main streets being narrow and crooked, there are few large open spaces suitable for intense lights, and there are numerous small courts and alleys which require lighting, and this for a long time to come will probably be effected with gas.[112]