The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-02-09


The CITY COUNCIL. This body holds
an important meeting this evening at
O'Clock. First ON the docket to be con-
sidered is provision for hall in which ia
hold the sessions of the hastings court.
This institution must be provided for, and
that Immediately, its late abiding place
being pronounced dangerous to life and
limb, and the court itself being the main
bar interposed between all good people and
what are known as the dangerous classes.
The next important subject that will
claim consideration will be the report and
documents about the improvement to
james river, for some time past going on
under the direction of a committee of the
council and citizens, superlntended by
Major w. G.. Turpin as chief engineer. The
report of proceedings is up to January
26th, 1874.
The report of the engineer is made to
| Colonel Albert Ordway, chairman of the
joint committee. That officer says:
The machinery of the city is now in first
rate order; $4,000 would not now sup
ply as complete or more serviceable outfit
than that owned by the city.
without addition to the present outfit,
and having unforeseen accidents, | think
that 81 900 per month, or $12 900 for the
year 1874. will be ample to conduct the
work as now carried on in conjunction with
the United States.
"The expenditure during the year was
$49, 029 A; of this sum $30,l51 95 was
expended in the purchasing and construc-
ton Of new machinery and appliances,
consisting of one steam tug, one hosting
machine, five large box-lighters, one
lighter for stithy, wheelbarrows, shovels,
cars for removing the material after being
placed behind the dikes, railroad track,
and sixty-two new dumping boxes for the
lighters. The cost Of keeping the various
machines and appliances in repair was
$lS, 151 95 for the same time.
"During the year 122,6S6 cubic yards
have been dredged and placed behind the
dikes and distributed; 2,540 lineal feet of
bikes have been completed 738 cubic yards
Of rocks, broken by blasting at Rockets
reef, was raised by one of the dredges
los boulders, requiring the aid of divers,
have been removed from the channel be-
tween the brickyard and the lowyer point
of Drewry's island.
'"The operations at Rockets reef are con-
Quoted by the government wholly. Since
the work was commenced in June, 1872,
2, l02 cubic yards of solid rock have been
blasted from the bed of the river and re-
moved, and A 1907 cubic yards of hard dis
integrating rock has been removed by
dredging"
The committee on grounds and buildings
will make recommendation to the coun-
Gil this evening for the erection of tenn
porary wooden buildings on Council
Chamber Hill, if the site be attainable at
reasonable rates, if not in some other
locality, of sufficient capacity to accom-
modate all the officers and courts former
ly occupying the City Hall. The committee
will also recommend the immediate tear
ing down Of the old City Hall, and adver-
Using for plan for new building on the
same site. The committee will probably
suggest the condemnation and purchase of
the land between the City Hall and the
First Presbyterian church if the original
lot should not prove large enough.
They will propose that the new
City Hall shall be of granite, and
so built as to make it an ornament to the
city. The committee on public grounds
and buildings consist of the three follow
ing competent gentlemen, viz: Charles T.
Davis, Walter G. Newberry and Lee Van
deryall.