Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-05-18
OUR CITY GOVERNMENT.
MONDAY Nights Meeting Of the Board
OfAldcrmen

OUR CITY GOVERNMENTS.
Monday Nights Meeting Of the board
, or Aldcrmen.
The Burlington aldermen fully appreciat
ed the delicate task they had Monday night Of
ending in some way the fierce quarrel among
the hose companies. The necessity was
pressing OF either deciding that all rccogniz.
! cd IRE companies in the city must be subor.
dlnatcd to the department, thereby seeming
TO treat ungratcfuly the Volunteer company
that has performed most valuable and willing
service for years, or else asserting to the
present arrangement, which has given rise to
so much bitterness and, as frcmen testify, TO
much Reorganization in the department
ING fre department committee announced
their inability to recommend a solution of
the difficulty, and the board as whole were
thus compelled to treat the subject at Give
minutes notice." taking away the Volunteers
customary rights but providing for their adj
| mission TO The same standing as other COM
panics If they so will. Several members ex.
pressed regret a, the action forced on them
as they wished well to the Volunteers but
ielt 1t their duty to Stand by the regular
Companies"
| The Proceedings
The first business transacted by the Board
OF Aldermen last night was to fill the vacancy
in the water committee by the appointment
OF Alderman Peck, who, however, declined
the appointment.
| A communication was read from the
Mayor, appointing number of special po,
llcemcn, and the Mayors action was up
proved.
second communication from the Mayor
was also read, recommending the erection of
u vault Tor the use of the City Treasurer and
the placing within it Of burglar. proof safe.
a resolution in due form providing for the
Carrying out OF this Recommendation accom-
| lnnied the document. MIR. Alyer moved
that the matter he referred to the committee
on punllc buildings 10 report Some run
Mug discussion followed and finally Mr..
Ayers motion was carried
Ihe committee on water department pre-
sented Their estimates for laying new pipe in
Pearl, Champlain and Pine streets aud else
whete as mentioned in the report of q for
hier meeting OF the Board. The total amount
is 1880. Likewise their report on the sub.
ject OF extending the water works main sun.
| ply pipe to the breakwater aud increasing
me pumping machinery was presented as
| follows:
Tho Extension Of the Water supply
Pipe.
When our present system of water works
was established more than 1G years ago the
pumping machinery consisted of one pump
ing engine and one boiler About three years
LAT n IL nta
constitutes our pumping machinery at the
present time
When the last addition was made to the
machinery the consumption of water was less
than one hall what 1t is now, and this CON
sumption Is constantly increasing as the
water pipes are extended, sewers built, and
The modern improvements in building are in.
troduccd. The pumps and boilers are re-
qllred to he run up TO the limit of their safe
working capacity large portion of the time
for ordinary domestic supply, leaving no
reserve for an emergency liable to occur from
accident 10 machinery.
A stoppage of the pumps for "a hours dur
ing the drought of last Summer would have
left the city without water for domestic sup.
ply. or fire protection from the water works
Your committee believe that the risk is
greater than the circumstances will warrant
being taken. Therefore they would recon-
meni that at the earliest possible date a
pumping engine and set of boilers be pro-
cured of capacity sufficient to deliver g.
OO0, QUO gallons of water into reservoir for
lwenty-iour hours. The pump house build
lngs as now constructed have large wooden
shed Tor fuel on the south side which is old
and adilapidated. Next north are the brick
engine aud pump room and north of these the
boilers. Tins arrangement requires The
wheeling OF all the fuel outside and around
the engine room, which is very nconvenient.
North the of boilers is a brick store room.
Inc committee would recommend that the
OLD shed (Which is Il dangerous fire trap be
removed. That the brick store room be en-.
larged sufficiently hold years stock of fuel,
and north of this brick fire proof building
1e erected suitable for the new machinery,
This arrangement would bring the fuel house
between the two sets of boilers making it
very convenient and removing all liability of
danger to one set Of machinery in case of &C
Cident to the other.
Tho extending Of the main pipe out into
the lake, so as toprocure better water, the
health OF our city demands, and it needs no
comment from this committee
We therefore would recommend that a six
teen inch iron pipe be laid to the breskwater.
distance OF about 400 feet, and supplied
with swivel joints not more than rs feet
apart at the breakwater suitable screen
chambers with bulkheads and guard gates.
arranged so as TO receive water from outside
OF breakwater and not less than ten feet be.
low surface at low water. AT shore end this
pipe should be connected TO each set of pump
suciions with stop valves SO as to be under
the control OF the engineer.
In view OF the fact that the price OF large
portion of the material needed especially the
IRON pipe, ia very low at present, the COM
mlttee would recommend that such action be
taken as shall insure the commencement
and early completion OF the proposed exten.
sions.
Your commit &c not being authorized to re-
c. I've proposals I or the above work and mate.
nal are unable to give detailed statement Of
cost But from what we have learned from
parties engaged IN business of this character,
We would estimate the cost of the above work,
all complete and ia running ORDER at a sum
not exceeding $3.50, 0OO) thirty thonsond dol
lars.
Respectfully submitted,