The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-01-18
Special Meeting city oouneii.
CoyNo1r UHAMBFlfn. s

SOSNO1A s&k4AM6EISs. NJ! !
Co1gMgI4, January l8, 1874.
dernaen Carpenter, Lowndes, Mitchell,
Oarfo,,, youSg. Taylor, Carf and Grifsn.
Observation-Disclosures 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 oity 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 $50 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 tho rate of about thirty cents
per gallon for u good quality; but one
of the chief objections 20 the use of the
ordinary oil lamp is the constant break
age Of chimneys. Lamp lighters arc
not particularly noted for care and Mt
tentlon in the management of public
lamps, and SO long as the puy for broken
lamps and 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
the lamps.
1t is not M unusual occurrence, upon
stormy nights, to have as many as
twenty, or even fifty, chimneys krokcn
out of two or three hundred lnmps. a
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 TIE damage may bo
done even while the mplighter is at
work lighting his lamp. Another item
Of expense is tho lighting and e1tin.
gushing of lamps. It has been esti.
mated that O quick-moving man can
light forty lamps of the kind now under
consideration III the space of two hours,
and can extinguish the same in about
two-thirds of that time. This would
necessitate the employment of at 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 III 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. Tho nuphtha costs
ten cents per gallon, or abont ono-third
as much as oil, and the fume is equal to
shS. OF the very best coal gas, or more
than equal to two ordinary coal 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 cleah-only tho reservoirs
to NIL each day. The expense for light
ing the lamps would also bo cheaper, fur
1t requires no extinguishing Mt all. The
lamp burns for eight hours or more, and
then e1tinguishes 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.
A motion by Alderman Carroll, that
the oity purchase from the Globe Gas
Light Company. Of Boston. 200 burn
ers aud tanks, to be attached to the lun-
terms already contracted for, wus, on
being put to vote, adopted.
Alderman G C.rpenter, from the Com.
mittee on Ways and Means, also made
the following report on the petition OF
s. Sheridan for payment of his clnims
against tho police force, which, after re-
oeiving statement from the City Trea-
surer, the Council adopted:
The committee has carefully invcsti-
gated tho matter referred to in the petit
ton Of Mr.. Sheridan, and find that the
fault does not lie wholly with the City
Treasurer Il appears that the petit
toner han been in the habit of taking
orders from the police officers, in anti
clpation OF their monthly pay; and, in
many instances, las beon given power
of attorney by said officers. who. after
wards, refused to af1lx their signatures
to tho Trcusnrer's receipts. Whether
iho petitioner hes suffered pecuninry
loss from the course adopted by him,
your committee does not pretend to
say; bnt it is hardly probable that his
case is any worse than many others who
were creditors of the city aud were will
ing to take CITY currency. It is the in
tention OF the city to redeem all it's
obligations Mt tho earliest practicable
moment; bnt y ur committee can sec
no good to result from the passage of q
resolution instructing the Treasurer to
pay bill in ''bankable money" whom
hoe oe