LIGHTING OF STREETS.

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so well in this new office, that we may say, adds theauthor, it is to him, more than to any other, that we areindebted for the good order which prevails at present inParis.

The first successful regulation by which La Re.yn.ierendered a service to the police, was that of improvingthe C(fuet) night watch, and the lighting of the streets. 5These regulations do not appear to have been made im-mediately, hut some years after his appointment, i. e. onthe 23d of May, 1671, an order was made that the lan-terns every year should he lighted from the 20lh of October,till the end of March, in the year following; and evenduring moon-light, because the latter was of but little usein bad weather; and even in fine weather it was notsufficient to light some of the most dangerous streets.

Before this period, the streets were lighted only duringthe four winter months ; and on account of the numberlessatrocities committed in the night, when there were nolights, the Parisians olfered to contribute as much moneyas would be sufficient to defray the expenses of keepinglights throughout the whole winter.

The lamps employed by La Reynie , were, on account oftheir likeness to a bucket, called lanternes a seau, whichsucceeded those previously used and invented by oneHerauIt, called lanternes a cul-de-lampe.

When De Sartines held the office of Lieutenant de police,a premium w r as offered to whoever should discover the mostadvantageous means of improving the lighting of the streets;and the Academy of Sciences were to decide on the dif-ferent plans which might be proposed. In consequence ofthis offer, a journeyman glazier, named Goujon, receiveda premium of 200 livres, and Messrs. Jiailhj, Le Roy, andJiouryeois de Chateaublanc 2000 livres. To the last men-tioned gentleman is ascribed the invention of the presentreverberating lamps, described by La Vieil, which were in-troduced in 1766.

A satirical publication, called An Essay on Lanterns,written to ridicule antiquarian researches, and certaineminent Parisians, contains some authentic informationrespecting lighting the streets. The author says, “ We aretold that several reverberating lamps w’ere invented by anAbbe P. who, therefore, is the second abbe who can boastof haviug illuminated the first city in the world.”

6 See Code de la l’olice, par M. D., troisieine edit. Paris, 1761.