The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-01-18
Special Meeting City Council.
CoyNoIn CHAMBER.
COLUMBIA, January l6, 1S

COUNCIL CHAMBER, 70 4
CoLUMB1A, January ;1B, 1874. ~,
Ptesent-Hfs Honor the Mayor; Al.
dermen Carpenter, Lowndes. Mitchell,
Carroll, Young. Taylor, Carr and Griffin.
bsent-Aldermen Thompson, Cooper,
Hoge and Williams.
The Mayor stated that he had called
the meeting to hear the report OF the
Finance Committee on matters referred
to them.
Alderman Carpenter stated that he
had not consulted the balance OF the
committee on the subject OF lighting
the city with the naphtha, but gave his
own views. He said the city has re-
Gently entered into contract with q gen.
tleman in this city to supply 250 street
lanterns, to be erected upon the public
streets, for the purpose of lighting the
same. The original intention was to
light the same with the common oil
lamp. The oil can be supplied to the
city ut the rate Of about thirty cents
per gallon for good quality; but ono
OF the chief objections 10 the use of the
ordinary oil lamp is the constant break
age OF chimneys. Lamp lighters arc
| not particularly noted for core and Mt
tention in the management of public
lamps, and so long as the pny for broken
lamps aud chimneys does not come from
their pockets. it is matter Of but small
moment to them how many are broken.
Nor is the breakage to be attributed
solely to those who light and manage
tho lamps.
1t Is not nj unusual occurrence, upon
stormy nights, to have as many as
twenty, or even fifty, chimneys broken
out of two or three hundred lamps. y
single drop Of rain is sufficient 10 break
even the most expensive lamp shades.
Our lanterns are not constructed go aa
to exclude rain, for the damage may be
done even while the lump.lighter is ut
work lighting his lamp. Another item
OF expense is tho lighting and cxtin.
gushing OF lamps. 1t has been esti.
mated that quick nun cnn
light forty lamps of the kind now under
consideration in the space of two hours,
| and can extinguish the same in about
two-thirds of that time. This would
necessitate the employment of ut least
seven or eight men constantly, for the
lamps must be kept cleaned aud filled,
and one man could hardly perform
more labor per day than to fill and keep
| clean forty oil lamps, situated, as they
would be, long distance apart.
The patent naphtha burner is e1pen-
sive in the outset, but is cheaper IN the
end. The whole burner and reservoir
for supplying the burner with gas can
be affixed to the lanterns which the con-
tractor has engaged to supply, at cost
OF $40 per lantern. The nuphtha costs
ten cents per gallon. or about oao.third
as much as oil, and the flame is equal to
that OF the very best coal gas, or moro
than equal to two ordinary conl oil
lamps. The expense Of attending to
these lamps is less than that of oil, for
the reason that there are no chimneys
or lamps to clean only tho reservoirs
to fill each day. The expense for light
ing the lamps you'd also bo cheaper, far
it requires no cxtinguishing Mt all. The
lamp burns for eight hours or more, and
then extinguishes itself. The city would
doubtless save money in the end by
using the naphtha lamp. and he recon-
mended that the requisite number to
supply 200 lanterns be purchased.
motion by Alderman Carroll, that
the city purchase from the Globe Gas
Light Company, of Boston. 200 burn
ers aud tanks, to be attached to the lam
terms already contracted for. wus, on
being put to vote, adopted.
Alderman G rpenter, from the Com
nittee on Ways and Means, also made
the following report on the petition of
8. Sheridan for payment of his claims
against tho police force, which, after re-
oeivipg statement from the City Trea-
surar, tho Council adopted
The committee has carefully invcsti-
gated tho matter referred to in the peti-
ton Of Mr.. Sheridan. and find that the
fault does not lie wholly with the City
Treasurer It nppenrs that the peti.
toner han been in tho habit of taking
orders frorl the police officers, in anti
cipation % their monthly pay; and, in
many instances, has beon given a power
of attorney by said officers, who, after
wards, refused TO aflix their signatures
to tho Trcasurer's receipts. Whether
tho petitioner has suffered pecuniary
loss from the course adopted by him,
your committee does not pretend to
say; but it is hardly probable TINT his
| case Is any worse than many others who
we're creditors Of the city and were will
ing to take city currency. It is the in
tenton Of the city to redeem all it's
obligations ut tho earliest practicable
moment; bnt your committee can SEQ
no good to result from the passage of
resolution instructing the Treasurer to
pay bill in "bankable money" whom
he has none Of that commodity in his