Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-07-27

SiTF AFFAIRs-MEETIEG OF THE BOARD OF Al
DERMEN.-The report Of ths Revenue Collector,
submitted to the Board of Aldermen at their meet
ing yesterday, showed collections since last report
Tor corporation purposes amounting to Sc, 1855,
interest Sll.57, and fOT schools s., 1925 49,
The Water Tax Collectors report showed collec-
hOns. since last report amounting 20 s. 4l3.55.
The chairman Of the Finance Committee report
ed on accounts against the corporation amounting
TO Sl,547.SO, and recommended the payment of the
same which Recommendation conquered in.
Mr. MATFIELD, from the Water Works committee
submitted the following report:
10 the City Council: Your Committee on Water
works would respectfully call the attention of the
Cly Council to the present condition of the rcser
Volr, and urge the great Importance to the city of
lrempl action IN the premises. The reservoir now
IN use Is altogether inadequate to an abundant and
economical supply of water for the city, boh from
is size sni the fact that for sometime past it
mas been leaking badly. The leakage has been
temporarily checked by the deposit of mud, &c
from the water in the creVices of the reservoir du
lng the winter and spriug. But the clear water do
ring the summer will wash ont this deposit, and we
may expect during next four five months, the
reservoir TO leak 10 llrge steams, it did at tie
same time last year. and that these leaks will conf
stantly be en- the increase. Uuder these circum
stances, 1t will be very difficult and expensive to
Keep up the supply of water. And in case any acct
dent should happen to the large engine macbin,-
~ requiring over two OF three days make repairs
II would be impossible with the smaller engine TO
furnish supply of water. The leaks in all pro-
liability, will continue increase until they great
ly damage, If they dO.net even undermine and des-
troy the reservoir.
The City Council is referred to the report Of the
Superintendent of he Water Works accompanying
this report, for futhor informal ion on TITS subject
An abundant RUd cheap supply CT water is ess n
tial 10 the heal h. comfort and safely of the city.
single fire might, from scsGty supply OF water
destroy more property tnan would pay for a first
class rCssr9oir The cssty OF Anoths reservoir
must be apparent to every one acquainted with The
facts of Il case.
Ubder these Circumstances and knowing the
Strengthened condition of The ciiy's finances your
mmlitee have had great Diff ulty 10 arriving at
any salts sctOTy concluei to the test Course of
&C iCn. Your committee have repeated examined
the whk upon the old reservoir done under the
tract be ween the corporation and Mr.. Grsy. hey
svecaretuly considered several plans mp ct ng
the reser'oir to the walls built under
contract but cannot recommend any of them for
adoption. Tie regard The work as practically
WORTHLESS for the purposes of reservoir, except for
the material it cen aBs. Your committee have
therefore, concluded 10 recommend the tearing
down of tue wall built by Mr.. Gray, and using the
stone, far practicable, IN the proposed slruc-
ture The plan coBtemplstes the removal of this
stone from the inside The outside of the old
voir walls, and inc arporatng The old reservoir walls
into the new structure The walls proposed are 10
be eight feet thick At the base and fur feet the
top, strengthened by heavy butlresses at tae four
corners and at the middle Of the longer Sides and
will be tWeDty-three fret high. They will be also
strengthened by good embankment. This plan
will give q basin eighty by one hundred and
sixty feet in the clear, vita depth of twenty-five
feet. l. will be seen that this will give us a
vOir Of much greater capacity than that proposed
under the Cray contract
At the request If your committee, the City E1gi-
neer hiss made drawings of this plan, togeth er
with specifications in de all, and estimates of COST,
allof which made part of this report ard viii n
the City Council is referred for full explanations of
the plan proposed The estimated cost Of the NO TX
will be SCI 600 Your committee are Of the OPT n
ion that the actual outlay of money eau be rednc ed
20, say about $4,000 by employing the We rk
House hands on the work Your committee are of
opinion that the WORK should not be done by con-
tract, but should be performed by competent work
men employed by the corporation, and under its
direction, it icing much more important that such
work should be srsI done than cheGply done.
Your committee also present vita this report,
another plan CT reservoir furnished by the City
Engineer and recommended by him. This plan
proposes an entirely new stvucJure-the abandon
ment of the material ia the walls they Nv
stand and the substl, ution Of magnesian limestone
The estimated cost of this plan is S35, 600 Your
committee believe that the magnesium limestone is
more durable and be ter suited Co the purpose Of
reservoirs than the common limestone, and they be-
lieve il would make q superior and much more Dur
able structure. But they have not deemed it advis-
able to recommend the adoption of this plan, &C
count Of the increased cost. 1t is proper to add
that the cost of this plan could be reduced in the
same manner as the other by the employment OF the
Work House hands.
Your committee, in conclusion, would add that
they have been very reluctant to advise the aban
dOnmeGt Of the work lone under the GRAY contract
and which has cost the city large sum Of money.
and would willingly adopt any plan by which that
work could be rendered available.
H. 0. HURT.
l.. BosTICK,
GEO A. J. MAYFIELD.
Your Superintendent of Water Wo- ks submits the
following report The amount Of water tax for the
six mon b. ending the LIST Of January is as fol-
lows: SI4 l27 50; eprinkling tax for the pres Mt
year 81 O4620, amounting in The aggregate to Sl6,
174I5.
The following work has been done since my last
report: Is sop-vslves repaired and II fire plugs.
There have been pipe laid on the following streets,
to wit: On Market from Mallory TO Franklin 400
feet of inch aud one step valve and one fire plug
on corner of Franklin and Market; 100 feet of !
inch en- lower Water sire t. south of Gay; 4OO feet
of inch on Line, from Summer 10 Cherry, and two
stop-valves 400 feet of il inch on a contemplated
street running cut west from McLemore stree!
have also repaired the main pipe on the following
streets: on Market, north of Gay; on Front, south
of Broad; on Market, south of the Public Square /;
on College north Of the Public Square: on Summer,
south OF Broad; on Ashe, between College and Mar
ket; on Spring, west Of Spruce; and on High
south of Spring. l am engaged in taking up
the pipe running from the reservoir TO Marke
street, and in running six inch pipe from the
junction of Asylum street and Lindsey Avenue
down the Lebanon Pike to Slade's.
The present consumption of water greatly ex-
ceeds in amount any former period, and is not less
than 100000 gallons per day, and we may expect
the leaks IN the reservoir to break out we will
find it extremely difficult II keepup q supply for SO
large consumI ton. Now, gentlemen with all these
facts staring in the face, is it indspen sable
that we should take prompt measures TO remedy The
evil BY completeiing the old reservoir Immediately
IL will be borne in min that this work cannot he
done in winter. Therefore, we should gel at and
complete il with all possib dispatch.
/ suggest the proprieiy Of opening the ditch on
College street while the hands are at work grading
The same preparatory to laying the eight incl
nine which we arc now taking up.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
JoHN NJ SEABURY,
Superintendent of Water Works
The report was received and made the special or
der for the next meeting Of the Board.
Mr.. HAMILTON presented a petition from H. c
Marling asking the privilege Of erecting frame
kitchen which vas granted.
A communication from the Mayor, enclosing