| Decatur County Journal October 4, l888 LEON'S INCANDESCENT LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON FOR THE FIRST TIME
ON THURSDAY As announced last week the electric light was turned on for the first time last Thursday evening. For several days previous MESSRS. SHREINER and BLOOMER, the men sent here on the part of the Edison Company had been working almost day and night in order to get everything in order, and it was not until late in the afternoon that all the machinery was in place and properly adjusted. However, at twenty minutes to seven, just as darkness was coming on, the street wires were put in connection with the dynamo, and instantly the streets were brilliantly illuminated. The effect was much better than the people had expected. Main Street, with large lights hanging directly over the center of the street every block from Third to Nineteenth Street, presented a gorgeous appearance. It had more of the appearance of some large and brilliantly lighted hall than of a public street. Leon is now certainly one of the best lighted towns in Iowa. At least we have seen no town, or city either, in Iowa, which is better lighted. There was a large crowd on the street to see the lights turned on for the first time, many of them being from the country, and every one of them were highly pleased with the lights. The lights in the stores and dwellings were not turned on until Friday evening as the burners had not been put in, but on that evening they were turned on and now nearly all the business houses and quite a number of the dwellings are lighted by electricity. As to the cost of the plant we have obtained the following figures
from MAYOR ALBAUGH. The original contract price of the dynamo,
wires, lamps, etc. purchased from the Edison Company was $4,404.48.
Extra wire for dwellings and two extra street lamps have cost $296.00,
so that the total amount to be paid the Edison Company is $4,700.48.
The engine and boiler cost $2,4l0.80. |
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