The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-03-10

One siuaFe, one montA.
One square, three months...
- 7s719.1 1917. s1sqss
o. a M sss s g g.
pr1yase prns 2 sgsaG iSs5a9fa ea
Gross rece.pts......e 16lSS5 lssee'gy1Sss lse'ySs
Gross expen co.. l46, ,008 le5,ogs 9segss
R'ssSssss Fss's &c: rsis: as:ssss sasss
| Proas.... e1.8l93s 6A6s2 -
To the profits OF 1878 should be alse eafsg
ried the value of the coal on band FeTuafy
1st, 1874, which had been paid for IN exee1
of the anloun: on hand February 1sf, 1Sf1s
which would and 81, 900 to this pso6t. q.
This, exhibit, gratif, ing as i Isl Moule j
! have been more so but for the FACT snals ZOE
a considerable portion Of the summer a1S
fall, the committee was compelled 70 Guy
coal at unusually high rates abroad on sc-s
count of The unexpected stoppagelo lof 0pofn-ss
tionss at those mines in our neighbo orhood
on which we depend chiefly for our supply "
ordinary times. - .s - e t'Ass.s,f s' :.
The works are in excellent eonditios; the
storage capacity for eoatand the tnanRfscfu-7
ring and storage capacity for gas are ample;
iWi!h the present retorts the production
millions of cubic feet per annum, and thsfs
storage capacity Is amrle for a much lzrgers
annual production. Under the judfGon6f
management now prevailing, aud with tbs
increasing facilities for obtaining coal OF the
I'nighest Illuminating power and having tbs
same brought to the doors Of the work. Z -
safe to predict that unless some accident duS
teryeues the city will each year End the polrs
icy of retaining this valuable franchise In her,
Town hands more fully rindtcated. 3.
lam glad to be able to endorse the favor
able mention which the COMMITTEES and fRcs
superintendent mske Of the character and
| habits Of the hands in this department. q
| compliment none the less credi1blc from the,
circumstance that similar praise may justly
be bestowed on the city employ es generally
| With exceptions rarer than is USUAL ID citsth
of the size Of Richmond, our various ds7
parlments are served ny q body of men con,
spicuous for their sobrlety, honesty, intellI,
gence and faithfulness. ssaE =. =
! concur hesrtily in the recommendations
of the slight and comparatively unexpensiSe
| improvement OF she'd in front of the getort-
house rs protection to the coke men, ,
I / also recommend that as long as We main.
tain The system Of outdoor relief to the
needy certain proportion OF the surplus
coke be placed during the winter months a.
the disposal OF the Committee for the, ,Relief
Of the Poor. The surplus of producion oyer,
the needs of the works for fuel amounted iass
year to nearly one hundred thousand bushi
els. If one part of this was regularly se1
apart for the poor, it wollds especially In
the eastern portion Of the CITY, prove great
, benefit at q comparatively low cost.
WATER.
The current expense account Of tbeWater!
Works during the past year amounted 10
S25, 100, the water rates TO $5S, ,1S7, leaving
the net receipts S33, ,037. The construction
account foots up $1S 900, and there was paid
for enlargement OF the works si89,SVV.
I bad hoped to be able to announce the
putting in operation of the turbine wbecloa
which we expect to rely for water supply
when by reason Of excessive freshetS the or,
binary wheels are stopped from the over.
flow. The delay is accounted for by the conn
mittee and superintendent on the ground OF
the great weight OF the machinery and tha
suspension Of work by reason Of high wates,
The heavy main on Cary street has all boon
laid down and lateral pipes Of larger d!ame.
ter than the old pipes have been conducted
from Cary through seYeralofth the cross streets.
By this means the Main-street main flas been
relieved OF work With which it.was oyers
charged, and preparation made for an abuns
dant supply Of water in those parts OF the
city where the heaviest business Is done, an
improvement whose advantages in time d
fire are manifest. When the Cary.street main
shall be supplied from an adequate feederts
. will prove the most efficient fre-eDgine thas
could be placed in that part OF the city,. -
The present pumps are, and have been foE
years, taxed to their utmost capacity. TO
ireIieye them and provide for an accident that
may occur at any moment, stealn.pumo
has been placed on the basin OF the canator
race. lEa .a .Tgss
Steps have already been taken for the con-
struction of new reservoir, made neces..,
sary by our steady increase in populations
by the total inadeqmcy of the present one
to insure a supply to the high points Of the
| city on Shockoe and Church Hills, and by
the il Indispensable necessity of s1fbc!ent
storage to carry the city safely through the
| long periods OF summer drought.
| When this IL completed we shall have,
with the completion of the new pumping,
appliances now in process Of execution,
supply Of water amply adequate for the
wants of the city for thirty years 70 come.
TEE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I'll ~ -
The reports Of the engineer and tho Couns
| ell committee in charge Of this department
concur in their representations Of the dtsei;;
pline, efficiency, and satisfactory equipmenr
OF the fremen. Fortunately our efty nas
been exempt from fire during the past yesf
to an extent not only unexampled IN heg
history, but, I presume, Of any city Of sP;
nroxin,a,e size In the Union. The
Total losses by fire during the year
amounted to S20,235-or less than one.
,,rentieh of one per cent. OF the assesseg
ualue Of The, ,tara5le property Of Rschsaooa,
4 The chief engineer properly remsln
that It would be folly to expect continus.
ance OF this unexampled good fortune. ana
unwise therefore to measure our interest H
efforts in reference to rhe Fire DepartmeY
by this exceptional experience. ieonsur ,E ln
his suggestion that q hose company De !o-
Gated somewhere In the section bounded DJ
Ninth and Twelfth or F fourteenth streeHa anu
Wing south Of the Capitol Square. Ess:as,s
Even with the existing head Of wateE and
much more when the new reservoir y COM
pleted, such a company would be as service
liable as the most efficient steamer, and IL Ht-
ted up with even three bunks, that so msny
of the company might sleep ut the house, its
superior promptness in reaching the IRE
| would render it or great service. The local
ity spoken Of contains probably three tlmea
as much OF value in bulldogs and Gop<as -
aHy other Of equal area in the city, ,,,sqs
am glad to notice diminutioh 10 the sc.
cidental fires from the explosion OF kerostne,
and do not doubt that under the ordirauea