The Forgotten Era of Moonlight Towers
Back in the early 19th century .... Sir Humphry Davy, who can be considered the true founder of electric lighting, had demonstrated at the very beginning of the century a method to produce light by bringing two metal electrodes very close together to produce a sustained spark. Known as arc lamps, these became the first practical electric lights."
"The light produced by the arc lamp was too intense to be endured at close range, making them unsuitable for indoor use..."
"The city of San Jose, California, tried to solve the problem in 1881 by putting arc lights atop a 237-foot tall tower. A total of 6 arc lights were installed boasting a total light output of 24,000 candlepower."
"Detroit erected a total of 122 towers, with a height of 100 to 180 feet, lighting 21 square miles of the city. It was the best-lighted city in the world."
"By 1884 there were already more than 90,000 arc lamps lighting American cities, and that number rose to 235,000 in 1890."
