Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-15
management Of the Water Depart
ments
ANNUAL REPORT OF REGISTRAR cox.


ANNUAL REPORT OF REGISTRAR cox.
The annual report Of the water registrar,
Thomas C. Cox, was laid before the engineer
commissioner yesterday afternoon, showing
the total length OF water mains laid in the Dis
trict the past fiscal year to have been 172 miles.
There are s11 fire-plugs in the Dis
trict, nearly all OF the McIlelland patent; of
eeen n sSs ee tH
stop-valves and boxes, twenty-seven 6-inch
.'T'' branches, two 4-inch, i've 12-inch, one sxl2
inch s Branch. There are es N use a two oie hun
dred and ninety-nine hydrants-25o In the
city Of Washington and forty nine 10 George
town: Twenty.one new have been erected
in place Of old ones and six new erec ed
since July list. 1878, to June 80, 1879.
There have been go taps made Of "a, q and
inch diameter. There have been turned off for
nOn-payment OF water rent, 349; from vacant
houses, 121; fountains repaired, So; fire plugs
flushed, 2,4G0 fire plugs repaired, 100, and n.y.
drants repaired, 1890. There are 4Ss pumps In
use in the District; nine were erected the last
fiscal year. On pumps there have been lob
repairs made. Amount of money collected by
the collector of taxes for the water department
penses for the same period as above-office
rolls, 1910; contingent expenses, s416.o4: in
spectors and laborers rolls ssa,2596s; material,
S2O2.7O. Total, $53, ,29O.6s The total assessment
for water mains laid, was Si1.432.5S. Tie
amount Of outstanding water main tax and in
amount Ct such tax collected f4m July, 1878,
to September 80, 1879, was, together with inter-
est, $22, 1sO.46.
THE CHARGES FOR WATER RENTS.
The report says: 'The charges for water
rents, when compared with those of other cities,
show that they are less by tWo-thirdS than in
any Of them. The argument used against pay
ing any increased rent is that Congress having
brought the water into the District at the eX-
pense OF the United States, the charges OF the
department ought to be nominal. /. During
the time of the comprehensive improvements, a
large number of the streets were graded In
which the water mains were not lowered. The
cons sequence is, that during the very cold
weather or last winter the water froze in the
was common thing to have gang of fifteen
OF twenty men working day and night repair
ing leaks, 2. We have si1 fire plugs, which
have to be kept oiled ard flushed so that they
may be in perfect working order. s. We have
more than 500 large stop cocks, which have to
be oiled and kept in repair. 4. We have 299
reason Of the furloughlng Of a number OF our men
the depal tment has been greatly embarrassed
and very many complaints have been made con-
cerpiDg hydrants. pumps. &C., being out Of
order BY dllfgept work, after taking on some
Of the furloughed men, we were enabled at last
to make all necessary repairs. The furloughing
OF the water inspectors has proved great in
convenience to the department In its opera
tions. 1t is true the police assist, more or less
but with the small force they have a2d the ex-
tensive territory TO guard they cannot do eff
u. BSSlQoS,
the inspectors have been regularly drilled to
their work, and go about tneir duties In the
best manner and remedy many abuses In the
wastage Of water.' 1t Will be seen that
THE REVENUE OF THE DEPARTMENT IS MADE
QUATE
to It's wants, for after paying out to the sinking
fund S15, 900 per annum and over S29 900 interest
on water bonds, there is not enough left to
keep two engines pumping water continuously
for the high grounds. The water fund has been
running sholt each year for number of years,
and the deficit has been charged up to the
which requires the department to be self
supporting, hence the increase in the revenue
THE REGISTRAR OPPOSES FREE WATER.
1t has been suggested that the water should
be free, and the expense Of keeping up the sup
ply be charged up to the general fund. This
would be mantfestly unjust, as there are a
ties for using water, and they could not be ex-
pected to help to pay for san expense in which
they have no direct benefit. When the water
four thousand takers, but now there are about
seventeen thousand. This accounts, In great
degree, for the scarcity OF water in certain
locations. II Congress will cause the dam at
the Great Falls to be raised and larger sup
ply OF water to be brought, feel satisfied that
no complaint will be made about the charge for
water The trouble is an inadequate supply.
THE STAND PIPE Is DOING GOOD SERVICE
for large portion Of the city. have no hesi-
tatton in saying that If it was dispensed with,
1t would bring down upon the heads Of the Dis
tr1ct governors such storm OF Indignation
sons advocating to have 1t rebuilt and put in
complete working order again. 1t cannot be
expected to supply more water than the limit
OF Its capacity.
A FIRE WHICH THROWS FIVE HUNDRED MEN
OUT OF EMPLoYMENT.-A fire occurred Monday
evening In the dry1ngrOOm OF the bObbin factory
OF L. Sprague q Co., Lawrence, Mass. The loss
is estimated at $4,000. Five hundred hands,
mostly French, are out of employment. The
works were running to their fullest capacity
and had orders on hand amounting to s25, 900
The origin Of the fire is unknown, but it is sup
posed to have been caused by over-heating the
wing was gutted, but will be rehtted at once.
the business part of the town of shediac, N. B !,
was burned Monday, with the exception of Z.
T. Smiths store and the Weldon House. The
fire originated in an unoccupied outbuitding,
and thirtystx houses In all were destroyed,
among them being the Adams House. the Mont
teur Acadien printing Office. and all OF the prin
cipal stores.
SUICIDE OF GIRL.-Miss Mary Eagan, aged
10, committed suicide In New York Monday
She herself Sc By sewing but for
of Brooklyn, had some money belonging to her.
but refused to let her have it. A lawsuit was
begun, beg but it dragged slowly in the courts
shot herself in the head, dying instantly.
AROUND THE WORLD IN A SMALL BoAr-A
letter has been received at Boston from R. F.
Burrill, one of the two men who sailed from
that port in the little boat Golden Gate, bound
around the world They reached Cape de Verde
Islands In ffty-eight days, whence the letter
was mailed, experiencing their first and only
gale In the Gulf stream, which the little craft
Weathered handsomely. They next go to Cape
town.
SOLDIER KILLED.-At Fort Stockton, Texas,
on the night OF the 18th inst, Wm. Lett, Of the
seventh infantry, was shot and killed by VIM
Turner, a sergeant OF the tenth cavalry. Tur-
ner surrendered and was turned over to the
civil authorities.
ELECTION CONTEST DKCIDED.-The report Of
the examiner in the Schalck- -Whttehouse con-
tested election for the district attorneyship of
Schuylkill county, Pa, awards the ofice to
Schalck, (dem.) present incumbent. The case
has been pending since 1877.
CHINESE CHEAP LABOR.-Large public meet
1ngs have been held In Vancouver'S Island and
on the main land of British Columbia, at which
resolutions were passed and petitions adopted
protecting against the employment OF Chinese
labor in the construction Of the Canada Pacific
railway.
THE STATEMENT was made in q temperance
VOC hot nn1v tov1c rP ft,a1,