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Council Proceedings

Council Proceedings image
Parent Issue
Day
17
Month
August
Year
1893
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

At theadjourned meeting of the common council on Monday evening Aldermen Kitson, Manly, O'Mara, Wood, Martin, Herz, Schairer and Wagner were present. Aid. Schairer was called tothe chair. Aid. Manly, who was president pro tem., made a detailed report. In regard to the works question he reported at length: That the upper catch basin was in poor condition. On Saturday evening the water was low. If the reservoir were kept f uil he thought there could possibly be no objection to the water for drinking purposes, as it appeared olear. So far as lire purposes were concerned, there was an ampie supply. Dr. Hale, a large stockholder in the water-works conr pany, who was called on to make a few remarks, said last year the water company made sufiicient preparations for a water supply. The upper catch basin was in bad condition. That men had been set to#work to clean it out, but it was found they could not work to advantage, and it would take a few days for the sun to dry it out, when they would clean it out. The machinery was in bad condition, but they had Mr. Smoots, a competent man, at work, wlio would continue nntil it was put in good condition. It carne from neglect. The machinery would be put in fine condition and be kept so. Fire protection was the chief question. On Saturday morning there were about 750,000 gallons of water in the reservoir. Since that time it had gained, as he estimated, about 14 feet. It was the intention of the company to keep the reservoir full for fire protection. He would go home and then return and investígate the water supply with a competent engineer. Last year the company had spent f5,000 and believed it had an adequate supply. According to statistics enough water had been pumpedto supply a city of 20,000 inhabitants. There was a waste somewhere, where he was not prepared to say. He gave assurances that the works would be put in good condition and a sufflcient water supply would be maintained. He had a friend in the east who was the best expert hydraulic engineer in the state of New York, who would accompany him on his return next week and thoroughly investígate the situation and make recommendations. As he looked at it the interests of the Water Company and the city vvere idéntica]. There should be no lack of harmony or clashing of interests. He was informed that the daily supply of water was about 1,500,000 gallons. The basis on which water contracts were made with cities was a supply of 60 gallons per day per capita. Aid. Schairer said that a good deal of complaint was made by parties, who di'lighted in sprinkling their lawns, that they were obliged to resist the temptatïon of sprinkling untilO o'clock in the evening. Titus F. Hutzel replied to Aid. Schairer by saying that until the present draught was over there would be a scarcity of water. Aid. Martin said that if the water company had made a contract, as it certainly had, it should live up to it. Consumers, he said, were to receive all the water they wanted for sprinkling and other parposes at the rate of J10 per year, and the city was to be protected by a supply of water for fireprotection. J. F. Lawrenee made a few remarks and said that the company iiad spent over $70,000 on extensions and improvements, and when the works were built it was thought there would not be over 600 to 700 consumera, and the water company should be given an opportunity, etc. Dr. líale said that the cornpany was ready to clean the reservoir whenever the city requested it. He said he had also consulted two physicians, who informed him that there was no disease prevalent in the city traceable to the water. Aid. Manly replied by saying that when the council ordered the reservoir cleaned, the company proceeded to do so, but was stopped by the mayor. Dr. Hale said that he would consider it a personal favor if the mayor would request the citizens to economiza in the use of water. Alderman Wagner moved that the water company be ordered to place a telephone near Chubb and Spring streets and if not done by August 17th that the city clerk order it done and report to the council. It was moved that the matter be referred to the fire committee and fire commissioners with power to act. Aid. Herz moved this as an amendraent, which was lost by Aid. Kitson, Manly, O'.VIara, Martin, Wagner, Schairer voting against and Aid. Wood and Herz voting for it. The original motion was lost by the same vote. A communication from the board of public works was then read. The board estiraated the cost ofgrading Mary street, from Packard to Edwin streets at $100. The matter was referred to the street committee. Adjourned.

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register