Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-03-03

placed broken ones, anu I'VE were ubkeu
for burning oil. TIL total number of
lights in the city is sos, of which % con-
sumo oil.
Profles of a large number of streets
have been made, and gnades recommend
cd for adoption. Ordinances establishing
the grades of the streets in Chelsea and
the Overton Tract passed a first reading
in the last Board OF Aldermen, but were
never called up for final action. The lines
of the streets within the old limits, which
had fallen into somec% confusion, have been
revised, and the stone curbs, as far as they
extend, have been used to fix them in a
more permanent manner. The eXpendi-
lures for the past year have been much
less in amount han the two preceding
years-those Of 1868 aggregating 1885,
$40 70, those of 1867 S7l3O31 06. l
have no means of ascertaining the amount
expended by the street force. 1nder the
direction of the street Commissioner, but
estimate it for the past year at $4,000.
The Nicolson pavement began to ex-
hibit Indications of decay in certain 10
~calities in two years after it was laid. The
short period of time which has elapsed
since il was laid inclines US to look for its
cause in defective lumber used in the
blocks, and as those which have not yet
decayed may be expected to last for a
reasonable time, it would seem desirable
to replace the rotten ones Immediately.
The localities which require attention are
Second street, between Adams and Union,
and Madison, between Front aud Third
streets.
Having the best paved city in the West,
so far as the business portion extends, 1t
seems the next care OF the authorities
should be to provide means of reaching
these streets from the suburbs and coun-
try. I am sat SIZED this could be best Sc
cured by improving to the corporation
| line the streets connecting with the prin-
| cipaI country roads. Every year loud
complaints come up from the inhabitants
| of these streets and persons who travel
them. 1t is simply impossible, with the
amount of travel on them, to keep them
in order without the use Of some XII OF
road metal more durable than our COM
mon earth. 1t does not seem advisable to
lay wooden pavements on suburban
streets, because they will become useless
by decay, in time, whether there IS any
travel on them or not; and the travel on
these streets is not sufficient to wear out
that or my other less expensive road in
the time required for the decay of the
Nicolson. Stone would be a durable ma
terIal, would last Tor a time inversely pro-
portional to the amount OF the travel
over it, and, in the form fMcAdamized
roads. is smooth and pleasant to travel,
though it would not probably last so
long in this form as in a stone pavement.
Nature, however, has not provided rs
with stone nearer than 1856 miles by rail
and - by water, which necessarily
makes it very expensive. In view OF our
circumstance, il seems to me we
shall be obliged to use, to a great
extent. on suburban streets, the
onIv material with which Providence has
supplied Us, gravel. Though l. would
not make the best streets, it is certainly
preferable to " mud - and if properly put
down and kept up,it could be mIde much
better than has heretofore existed in this
city. Scarcely any material would stand
the abuse and neglect which u gravel
streets formerly received. The Tishomingo
gravel furnished by the Memphis Il Char
lesion Railroad is greatly preferable to
that taken from the river, which has no
binding MATERIAL great defect. L think
it would be worth while prospecting in
the neighborhood to see if pit gravel
could be found which would be less ex-
pensive thar that brought down on the
railroad.
The encroachments of the Mississippi
river upon our upper landing have been
been the subject Of much newspaper cor
respondence, and the cause Of some con-
Germ and inquiry on the part of the last
and previous Boards of Aldermen.
The anticipated great cost Of the WORK
and the financial condition of the city, to-
gether with an opinion entertained by
many citizens, that the landing would be
improved by the washing away OF the ac-
cretions, has operated to prevent even an
investigation Of the means and cost of
controlling the river.
l have little doubt that the time must
come when the river will be regulated in
front of the city, and 9 short distance
above, as there can be no -permaneuce in
the landing until something of the kind
is done. improvements to the value Of
$4,000, made since 1858, have been de-
stroyed. and the very material for the
most part, lost. There is a tradition
among the citizens that the deposits in
front Of the city have more han nee ac-
cumulsted and been washed away which
seems not al ali improbable. If landing
is constructed and a bar afterward forms
at the place, it is simply rendered useless;
if it is constructed on a bar, such as the
present one, and a current impinges
against it, the light material Of which it
is composed being unprotected,it Is swept
away.
In a communication to the last Board
of Aldermen, L expressed an opinion in
favor of works here in front Of the city,
where the damage is doing, such rs the
revetment OF the bank rather than opera
tons above the head Of the Tennessee
Chute, with a view Of restoring the water
to it's former channel through the chute.
l have seen nothing since to change that
opinion, and am confirmed 10 IL by a de-
scriptiOn of works constructed by the
city OF st. Louis, and their results, con-
tanned in a valuable report by Col. ". H
Merrill, L. 5. Engineer, to the Mayor and
CITY Engineer Of ST. Louis.
Without survey, s~oundings and b0rings,
however, no reliable opinion could be
formed as to the best manne or cost OF
making the improvements. It seems de-
sirable that such a survey should be
made, whether any work IS contemplated
3 go -. 80 En~Hae~1~ So - bod
been lone years ago, fixing base lines 10
such a manner as to render 1t easy to
make accurate notes of the changes ii the
shore and currents, it would be verv use
full now.
Received and referred to Committee on
improvements.
WHARFAGE COLLECTIONS.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, February 25, 1870.
To the General Council:
Gentlemen: Ny collections for the
month of February, 1870, amount to five
thousand five hundred snd se~venty-six
dollars and forty-hve cents $3.50 40.
Respectfully,
WharfmasGer.
Received and ordered printed.
COMMITTEE on ACCOUNTS.
For the report Of the Committee on Ac-
counts see the proceeding of the City
Council where published at length.
The following accounts were referred to
the Committee on Claims by the Board:
NJ. c.. Galloway Il Co, 1921 so; A. Hitz-
field a Co., SIS; Joseph Teufel, $50; NJ.
Hoist, so; Adams, Dixon & Pike, $4,000.
Referred to Police Board and Mayor:
Frank Polk, SO; d. l.. Sullivan, so 90;
Agnes Dake, Sl25.
Adopted.
IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE.
Upon a resolution that the City Fingi-
neer put Union street in good passable re-
pair from Wellington street to Marshall
avenue, yOurC Committee report favorable.
Adopted.
Upon the resolutiOns-lst, that the City
Engineer have Fifth street repaired, say
in the Ninth Ward from Kerr to Mill
street, and put a suitable culvert under
said street between Kerr and Keel streets;
I'd, that the Engineer have repaired or
constructed a bridge on the Randolph
road a short distance north Of Auction
street, your committee report: Refer to
the City Engineer.
Adopted by Board.
ResoLUed, That the City EngineeE be in-
structed to put in passaole condition Cal
houn or south street, from Main TO Shell
by street.
Adopted by Council.
Referred to Improvement Committee
by Board Of Aldermen.
Upon a resolution that the City En-
gineer be instructed to put in passable
condition Calhoun or South street, from
Main to Shelby street, your committee
report favorable.
Adopted by Board.
The Improvement Committee, to whom
was referred n resolution that the Engi-