ELECTRIC LIGHTS FOR PERU.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7573, 27 February 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

ELECTRIC LIGHTS FOR PERU.

A company (says the Boston Herald), composed in part of gentlemen of this state and Connecticut, and in part of citizens of Peru, has lately been formed for the purpose of supplying the republic of Peru with the electric light, and will operate under exclusive grants from the Peruvian Government for a period of twenty yea.a, during which time all their clectric lighting apparatus, machinery, and other electric appliances will be admitted into the ports of that country duty free. These grants extend to and include the eight principal cities—viz., Lima, Callno, Arequipa, Puno, Cuzco, Truxillo, Cazamara, and Putra. During July a plant of ninety arc lights, from the works of the Thomson-Hoaston Company at Lynn—which system has been adopted by the new company—will be shipped to Peru, which will include two fifty-horsepower engines and two steel tubular boilers. The company lias already, it is said, received orders for apparatus from other cities and towns in Peru, but under the terms of the grant, the electric light must first be introduced in Lima, the capital. Lima pays about £20,000 a year for gas, for which ]5s Gd in gold per 1000 feet i» charged. It is calculated that it will take 360 arc lights to light the streets of that city. One great advantage which the now company will enjoy arises from the cost of fuel in most of the Peruvian cities, especially those located some distance inland. The city of Arequipa may be taken as an instance. The freight alone on coal from the seaboard to this city amounts to £3 43 per tou, or makiDg the cost for coal delivered £5 Bs,per ton. A gas company was established there a few years ago that invested £40,000 in a plant. This company charged £1 as per 1000 feet for gas, but even at that price failed to pay expenses, and had to abandon the enterprise. But for clcctric lighting purposes, ample water power is said to exist near Arequipa, which can be utilised at a mere nominal co3t; and like favourable conditions for electric lighting are said to exist in nearly all the other cities, so that the company starts in with the most favourable conditions. Both arc and incandescent lights will be used. ___________