The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-12-20
THE BRIDGE Al MASSILLON AND
HEATING THE INFIRMARY

county OOnmlsblOnoIS lIohl tbo She'b bSo
and ISLANDERS Of the Repository, and also
settles completely the points that seem
to trouble our neighbors.
The new road at Massillon, called the
Hunt road, as Mr.. Hunt was the head
petitioner was located in strict accord
ance with law, being petitioned for and
advertised, a hearing had and three
competent property holders and sur
veyor sent out to view and report. The
report was favorable, showing the road
was needed to reach the stone quarries
safely, the route west of the stone bridge
being rendered dangerous by the rail-
ways. There were no remonstrances
against the road, and it was therefore es'
tablished. We have no doubt the public
convenience and safety demanded this
road.
This Hunt road, however, is of no use
without bridge. To be road at all,
therefore, bridge is absolutely neces'
sary. The complaint, however, is that
the Commissioners awarded the contract
to the Massilon Bridge company, instead
of to theKeystone company ofPlttsburgh,
and at higher price, The Commission
ers in their judgment believed the Mas
sllon bridge was enough better to justify
the difference, and they say they Are
confident all unprejudlced persons, who
will compare, will agree with them.
AS to the mode and manner of letting
the bridge, it was done as usual in such
cases in this and other counties. One re-
ouirement of the law was not properly
complied with, and hence the Commits
sioners, like worthy and honest men as
they are, annulled the contract, and there
it rests for the present. So, on this point
we see little or no ground for the RepoSi'
tory howl, or anyone's complaints.
As to the Infrmary heating, all we
ask of any friend is, for him to visit
that institution a few times during
this and the next week or two, and we
are confident he will acknowledge the
County Commissioners have done just
what they should have done. There is no
comparison between the S. 800 and $4,000
bids. Both bids will be found in this paper,
The lower bid should not have been enter
tanned. 1t only proposed one boiler, so
that in severe cold weather, if that got
out of order, the inmates would suffer.
But above and beyond this, the gentle
man making the bid never put up a job
of the kind, and, surely, in matter of
such importance, no risks ought to be
taken. Hence we say, in doing as they
did, our Commissioner acted wisely, and
will get good and cheap job. Messrs.
Kelly & Jones, who were doing the job,
put steam heating some two years ago
into the new school building in the Sec
ond ward, and it is a success. Their job
in the Court House is also satisfactory,
while the steam heating in the jail,
which was put in by Cleveland firm,
is not satisfactory, and we believe it cost
over $4,000. The Court House job cost
$4 $780, and the school house near 81 800.
We mentioned last week that the
Children's Home, near Mt. Union, was
heated by steam, and it was by no means
satisfactory, and the firm have been late
ly trying to remedy the defects. The
bids for heating that institution were as
follows:
Bush & Co., Mansfield, 81 ,9OO Brown
& Roubt, Toledo, $7395; Wood & Co.,
Cleveland, $8,592; Jarvis & Co., Pitts
burgh, $6,79S; the last named firm get
ting the contract, but for reasons stated
above they have not received their full
pay.
Now, the Infrmary is considerably
larger than the Home, and the contract
of Kelly & Jones includes system of
ventilation which is attended with no
little expense. We therefore say our
County Commissioners did well in let
ting the job as they did. The fact is, the
Infrmary has been poorly heated, get
ting heat from hot air and stoves. The
hot air arrangements were burned out,
and something had to be done, and they
wisely concluded to put in steam arrange
ments that would heat the entire institu-
ton, halls included. Let our friends call
at the Infrmary while the work is going
on, and then call again after they are in
operation, and judge for themselves.
The Repository says "a non-explosive
steam boiler is joke, and belongs with
the non-explosive oil and the invariably
unloaded gun" A non'explosive steam
boiler is not a myth but it is reality.
1t is boiler so arranged that it cannot
and will not explode to the injury of Ell
ther person or thing beyond itself, the
the boiler maker putting the weak part
of the boiler where, if it must give way,
no outside damage will be done. In
heating by steam every precaution is ta-
ken against accidents, and the boilers
used by Kelly & Jones are very low in
pressure, not requiring over eight or ten
pounds of steam. Economy, too, is con-
sidered, for the steam, after parting with
its heat and becoming water, the water
is again conveyed to the boiler to be used
again. This saves fuel and is safer, but
requires more machinery, and hence
adds to the cost. 4
We have no personal nor pecuniary in
terest in defending the County Commits
sioners, further than becomes good and
fair citizen, preferring to think well,
rather than ill, of worthy men in the
discharge of public duties, The Stark
County DEMOCRAT, let ussay, is not prone
to join attempts to howl down public Of
ficials without. at least. fair hearing,