The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-04-08
THE QUESTION Or REBUILDING
THE GAS WORKS ON THE
PRESENT SITE.
communication from the Gas Com
pany.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE
CITY COUNCIL.
Action Deferred till Next Meeting.


/, tee to the fact that their works were built
with the direct aid of the owners of the
e adjacent property, the majority of whom
were stockholders, and some Of them in
y corpOratOrs and officers of the company
e and the action the City Council is request
ed to take is asked by persons now own
e ing such property, and who bought it
d with full knowledge of the existence and
+ character of the Gas Works aud is not
indorsed by the citizens generally
The Gas Company denies that the
drainage from their works in any manner
affects the water at the water works, and
that the taste III the water distributed by
the water works last fall came from the
water pipes being vanished, when made
with coal tar varnish, and since that has
been washed out there has been no taste
that can IN any manner be attributed to
the Gas Cnmpany's works.
The Gas Company also denies that the
ar Is continually tainted with foul gassy
odorS and their works are a nuisance to
the whole neighh0rhood. and claim that if
there are any unpleasant odors arising
from them that the new works they are
about to build will do away with them
Also they wish 10 state that in their
new works the gas will be purified by i'm
proved purifiers, which will render the
gas works no more unpleasant neiehbor
than any ordinary manufacturing estab-
hshment
The Gas Company also claims. and is
prepared to show, that they can rebuild
their works, on their present location. at
price from twelve to fifteen thousand dol
lars cheaper than they can in the slough
or at the western end of the city
1t also states that in any other location
It Will be compelled to obtain its coal at a
. greatly increased expense Of carriage: thar
It would have to 90, also. u the expense of
keeping an Office in the business part of
the city, and that the Gas Company has
/ not now the means 10 construct the works
( IT has under contemplation and must Dor
row them in order to do it
That in consideration of the foregoing il
would beanunwarranted hardship 10 compel
+ 1t q remove it, works at its own expense
The Gas Company wishes t. remind the
committee that its owners are citizens of
I Rock Island, having common interest in
the welfare Of the city. and claim to be will
hing To do whatever is fair and honorable
IN the premises, but they DO most empbat-
lcally object to being declared a nuisance
and defilers Of the city's water when they
are conscious of being innocent Of all such
charges.
They think there is ALWAYS inst and
honorable solution to every difficulty. and
that neither they nor the city can afford
% engage IN litigation at the present time
The tias Company submits the following
propositions 10 the committee and requests
that they be attached t. their report n
the City Council.
ISt. That they viii buy u lot. in any
part OF the city that the Council may d.
rect, where a suitable lot may be obtained. .
ana rebuild their works on such lot, pro
Ilded the City Council and owners of
property adjacent to its present works will
pay for digging wallinc and cementing
suitable cistern for receiving the cas-hold- .
er and connecting it by suitable pines
with Their mains as well Us it is now con
nected
%. That if there are impurities found
III the water near the Water Works and
such impurities can be traced to the Gas
W orks, the Gas Company will at once take
up their drain into the river and construct
one emptying all the drainage of the Gas
orks into the Canal street sewer.
Sd. That they will sell all their property
70 the city at valuation u be made tv
dlslnterested parties, and receive in pay
ment the city's legal bonds payable in ten
years with interest payable annually at the
rate OF ten per cent per annum.
The Gas Company states that if their
hrst proposition Is accepted. that thev on
ly are reimbursed for two of their present
advantages and that the loss Of the otbors
will fall upnu itself and -anao+s - go.
meut that it is ready at ali times ~ ne,
the CITY in fair and honnr,bia o,,,,,,ro,,,;s
Of the present or any otber d;An,,It;as
that NAV arise between Them
BEN. HARpER pras;dar. i
prponr ~, mr., ,.,,,r,,- l-.'''>''''
p. -, JIM I'M Committee
~ ne 4Lo'o' ne mayor ana tdy Council
me 'tg q H"r6 I"and,
GENTLEMEN. Your committee to whom
was referred the petition Of a number of
respectable citizens and large tax PAYERS Of
Iht CITY asking that the gas works in their
present location be abated as a nuisance
would respectfully report, that. in their
opinion the statements set forth by said
tbermore tbat ,be ou ut3un Iac1s and fur
more or less Interested in ,Lc ,n ul,y are
forth III said petition. i
Your committee would therefore recon-
hn nina, rlta5 'ne PRAYER OF SAID petitioners
III "u I,Sn.9J' anu tildI the Olty Attorney be
iting the rebuilding of the Gas worI on tbo
present site
our committee would further recon-
menu my that no person or persons be grant
gas, or for the exclusive use of the streets fnr
laying down pipes. etc, believing as we do
that the public goodis not best promoted by
grants of that kind and we believe further
that, as representatives of the people we
should keen STEADILY in WOW +ba -. ~,