LONDON LIGHTING.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLIII, Issue 8, 28 July 1916, Page 6

LONDON LIGHTING.

Though London has for months been in darkness during the night, owing to war measures, it is not the first time the city has felt the lack of street lights, for in 1-116 citizens were obliged to hang out candles oil dark nights to illuminate the streets. This was enforced by an Act of Parliament in 1661. In 1684 Edward Heming, the inventor of oil laimps, made a daring offer, which was that for a proper consideration he would engage to place a lisrht before every 10th door, on dark night's, from 6 p.m. until midnight. His proposition was accepted and he was given the exclusive right to light the streets as indicated for a term of years. (But the scheme proveked a great uproar among the people. Some of them enthusiastically applauded it and hailed Heming as the greatest benefactor the city ever had. Thousands of others furiously denounced him and his scheme and demanded that the contract he cancelled. Heming held on and in time the people became reconciled to having the streets lighted. In 1736 the city government assumed the responsibility.