The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-02-15
MAYOR swEENEY's MESSAGE.
MAYORS OFFICE, WHEELING, w. VA.
February I2th. 1867.

10 the Members of the FIRST, and The
President and Members of the Second
Branches Of Council:
GENTLEMEN: Amongt the few subjects
TO which your attention may now be
called, the most important, perhaps, is
the preparation necessary to procure
and preserve good sanitary condition
OF the city, during the current year.
| Upon the recon- mmendation of the resi-
| dent physicians, energetic steps were
taken last spring to thoroughly cleanse
and purify the streets, alleys, and other
places within the corporate limits. An
| ordinance was adopted establishing.
/ during the pleasure of the Council, a
Health Officer, who was clothed with
the powers given by existing ordinances
TO the sanitary committees or Board of
Health, and a well qualified gentleman,
| DIR. X. Blum, elected TO the office, who
faithfully and diligently discharged the
! duties; and while there were still many
places requiring his attention, succeed
ed in placing the city generally in bet
ter sanitary condition than it had ex-
| hibited for many years, and to this fact
under an overruling Providence may be
attributed wonderful decrease in sick
ness and death during the year, and an
almost entire exemption from pesti-
lence. The whole number of deaths re-
ported in 1864 was 447, in 1866 was 44S,
| while in 1866, with largely increased
| tue WAS ONLY 0ll.
| The fact of our having escaped visita-
ton of cholera last year is no evidence
that the danger Is past, or thatsswe will
| have like immunity in the future.
On the contrary, that very fact in
creases the possibility of its coming,
because may will become careless, and
permit their premises to resume former
tilthiness, and will be less cautious in
diet and personal habits, and the expe-
| rience of other localities shows that it
/ is not unusual that the city exempted
one year may be terribly scourged the
next. Even for times when no epidem-
| ic is imminent, the old system of one
Sanitary committee man for each ward,
the whole constituting the Board OF
Health, is inefficient and practically
useless, and could not have accom-
plished the results of last year, but the
Health Officer as established and oper-
ated by the late Council, or something
similar, can and will be effective. 1t
would be we'll to postpone the appoint
ment of Sanitary Committees under
| the old plan until the Council shall de-
eide the policy to be pursued in the mat
ter. Your prompt and careful atten-
ton to this subject is earnestly recon-
mended, that you may as soon as pos
sible establish that which in your wis.,
dow you may deem best for the inter
est OF the city and the well-being of the
citizens. The present organization of
| the Fire Department is very unsatis-
| factory, even to the members them
| selves of the various companies, and
II ey have latterly made some effort by
the selection of a chief, and by other
means to increase their efficiency and
comfort. Exactly what has been done,
I am not prepared to report, as no OFF,
cial communication has been made TO
me. The firemen labor under great
disadvantage from not having reliable
| lion srNFss
| nearly new hose purchased last year,
there is scarcely section in the city
| that will certainly stand the plug pres
sure on the new 20 inch water pipe at
Monroe Street. This is no new discov-
cry. Two years ago contract was made
with parties in Cincinnati for 9, 500 feet
of new hose, but as they failed to COM
ply on time, and as the price had ma
terially declined the contract was an
nulled, it being intended to renew it
elsewhere. For some reason no new
contract for sufficient quantity was
made. 1t will be wise to instruct your
committee on Fire Department to make
Immediately thorough. and careful
examination of the kinds and quanti-
ties of hose now held among the various
companies, and report to you, so that
| the proper steps may be taken to supply
any wont which may exist. The lack
OF strong hose Is serious evil, and
while this city has fortunately escaped
large fires, owing greatly TO the prompt
ness and energy of her firemen, yet any
fire might prove destructive in conse-
quence of the weakness and unreliable
| ity of the present hose. Since the re-
ception of our Steam Fire Engine in the
city, desire has been expressed by very
many ofthe citizens to have the hand
| engines now used exchanged for steam
engines. There should be two more II
the change is effected, one placed some
where between Adams and Jefferson
streets, on Main, the other near 4th and
| Quincy. To do this even under a vol
unteer system would involve heavy ex-
pense, say two engines SlO,5O0 two en-
gine houses and grounds Sl4, 900, two
hose carriages 81 400, six horses and
harness 81, 500, 900 feet of hose 81, 600,
| in all $50, 800, which may beS reduced
by the sale of the engine houses, hand
engines, carriages and old hose now used
| to say $50, 900. If this sum or the largest
part of it can be raised from insurance
companies, banks and property hold
ers, The steam engines might be Pur-
chased and the system established.
Under volunteer companies the cost of
maintenance of all three steamers
would be the feed for 8 horses, 81, 200,
and the salary for three engineers,
s., $50, land for three hostlers, 81 800, al
| the least, less the sum of g, 900 now an
nually appropriated to the fire compa-
I
operating about $1,000 per annum.
While it would be very desirable to
have two more steam fire engines (and
personally am in favor of ii, yet you
should hesitate 10 incur the expense,
unless a majority of the citizens ex-
press in some unmistakeabIe manner
| their wish to procure them, even at the
costs above stated. The United Steam
\ Fire Engine Company and the Guards
Hook and Ladder Company are acqui-
ring skill and proficiency in the man
agement oftheir apparatus that is cred
! table to them, and will enable each of
them to do good work in extinguish-
ing fires. a contract now on file in the
| Clerks Office was made by the late
Council with G. w. Jetfers, Esq, to re-
wise and re-arrange the existing ordi-
nances of the city. The work is COM
| pleted and ready to be submitted to the
| Council for examination. So many OF
the ordinances We're found repeating
and conflicting with others, that a large
| number were necessarily entirely Y
rewritten, and action by Council
will be required to legaliZe them.
The examination and COMPARE
son needed can be made by your
committees, and reported, or you can
by special meetings, act upon them in
| fun Council.-Asi 1t will take some time
to do this, and then contract for the
printing and binding, and have it exc
cuted, it is hoped no unnecessary delay
may occur in your action. No increase
of police force was recommended last
year, nor is any proposed for the cur
rent year. The operation of the NUM-
i cipal Court, recommended two years
since. and the existence of the city lock-
up, are equivalent TO an increased force,
for persons disposed to violate the peace,
are deferred and restrained by whole
some fear of them. Some outrages
were perpetrated during the past year
affer u O'clock. midnight; but the of