The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-06-18
CITY GOVERNMENT.
Special Meeting of the Board of Mayor
and Aldermen.


I'm Board of Mayor and AIdermen.
special meeting of both boards was held |
last evening, and the following bGsness tran
sacted:
ORDERS PASSED.
The committee to whom was referred the |
claim OF Abandon Stone, for compensation |
Tor being guaranteed during small pox in a |
house in Hancock street and destruction of |
bedding, etc., reported in favor of paying him |
S75 In full for all claims The order was passed.
LEAVE TO WITHDRAW.
Catherine H. Doyen, for compensation for |.
alleged injuries to her property, caused by the |
erection of the Biiou skating rink.
b. thompson, for compensation for alleged !
injuries received Aug. 26 1888, by reason Of a |
collision with fire engine e.sAi |
John M. Brown, for damages to his carriage
at the same time.
PETITIONS PRESENTED.
a petition was presented for an electric light |
on the corner of Middle and India streets Re
ferred.
A petition was presented for an electric
light on the corner of Pearl and Federal and
on the corner of Franklin and Federal streets
on the corner nearest thesP ark. This petition
was granted provided there is money sufficient
to pay for the same.
The committee on electrical appliances. to
whom was referred the petition of the New
England Telephone Company for permission
to place one pole on Free and two on Cross
street. reported that leave be granted Report
accepted.
Petition Of II. G. Barnes, Geo. Burnham and
others, that Federal street be macadamized.
Referred.
CHANGE IN GRADE OF STREET
Alderman Hawkes. presented profile pre-
pared by City Engineer Goodwin of the grade
t. be established Cumbera street at
Grove. The change Of grade is p feet. The
order had passage. This necessitates the
| raising of two houses, and $475 was appro-
| priated.
RAILROAD PETITIONS.
The object of the NEE ting being hearing on
the petition of the Portland Railroad Com-
pany to lay double track from Park to State
STREET, was brought up. The width of the
| street varies from 405 t, so feet bet Reen Oak
and State street at different places
Aldermen Hawkes. and Kelsey while not
| particularly opposed to the ORDER made some
| inquiries in regard to it. II was suggested
| that if the double track be laid, the city, to
make the street in good con 1ition. would be
Obliged to pave the street with granite blocks
| outside the tracks.
Mr.. Wheeler thought the right already
| granted was satisfactory to them, although it
| would be easier to build the double track and
| would oovlate the use OF frogs, turnouts, etc.
On motion of Alderman Kelsey, amended
| by Alderman Hawkes., the order granting the
| laying of the double track, was laid on the
table.
| LICENSES GRANTED.
| james A Pine, for license as victualler W.
u. Jones, as auctioneer; Peter Grant, vctua-
| Ter; j. 2. Maddox, vietualler.
Alfred Woodman was granted permission to
| enter the Cumberland street sewer.
| POLICEMEN WITHOUT PAY.
The following were appointed special police
men without pay:
John Ell. DeDnisop, Jacob Fl. Groves, Henry
| E. Fl Bracket, Melville G. Sterling, Josiah
FL. Dill, VIM. W. Ruby, Horatio F. Ruby
Joint Convention.
| In joint convention George A. Barrows was
| appointed inspector and cutler of hoops an
| slaves.
WOODEN BUILDINGS.
The ordinance in relation to the erection of
| wooden buildings came up from the Common
Council, passed to be engrossed
rms order bad passage in concurrence in
this board. This is substantially the order
| introduced by Alderman Moves, except that
the limits are changed to between High and
| Franklin, and Cumberland and Commercial
| streets, inside OF which limits no wooden
buildings shall be erected, without complying
| with certain conditions
Adjourned.
I'm COmmOn Council.
Absent Messrs. Quinn, Carney, Shaw and
Wincht ster.
| Papers from the upper board passed in con-
currence except the order for electric lights
corner of franklin and Federal and Pearl and
Federal streets, which was laid on the table.
| Mr.. Woodbury. moved to take the ordinance
in relation to new wooden buildings from the
table and the motion prevailed
The chairman read the ordinance which has
already been published, and Councilman
Thompson moved to amend by substituting
| the following:
Be it ordained by the Mayor, Aldermen and Com
mon Council of the city of Portland, in the City
Council assembled, as follows:
SECTION mo building the exterior walls of
which shall be in part wholly of wood, shall here
after be erected in this city within the Limits bound
| ed by Commercial street on the South, Franklin
street on the East, Cumberland street the North
s'aeec on tnS NEST and no such building
| without permission from the Mayor and Aldermen.
SECTION mo building shall hereafter be erect
| ed or enlarged within the limits mentioned in
section one unless the roof of such building shall be
covered with metal slate gravel and the cutters
| made OF or lined with metal.
SECTION 3.-No building shall hereafter be erect
ed, and no building heretofore erected shall here
after be enlarged any of the wharves within said
city, unless the walls of such building next to any
| adjoining building, shall be made of, or sheathed
with brick, stone or iron, nor unless the roof of
such building shall be covered with metal, slate or
gravel, and the cutters made of or lined with metal.
SECTION 4.-No building the exterior walls of
which shall be In part wholly of wood shall here
after be erected or enlarged within this city and
outside of the limits named in section one, without
| permission from the Mayor and Aldermen,
SECTION 5.-Any building hereafter erected or
enlarged in violation of the provisions of this
ordinance, shall be deemed a public nuisance and
direction of the Mayor and Aldermen, to cause the
| same to be removed forthwith.
SECTION s. All ordinances parts of ordinances
inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed
SECTION 7.-This ordinance shall take effect
| when approved.
Mr.. Thompson said he had prepared the or
dinancs to remedy defects in the one which
originally came before the board. His inten-
ton had simply been to make the ordinance
more explicit, that the city government might
be able to enforceit, and let builders know
what their rights are.
Councilman Wilson criticised the provisions
OF the ordinance in that the very places In the
city where fires were likely to arise were not
included in the prescribed limits. He moved
to amend by making the limits the Eastern
and Western Promenades, Commercial street
and Lincoln street, and the motion was sec-
onded by Councilman Burleigh.
Councilman Turner thought the ordinance
was rather peculiar one. Pretending to sup
plant an old one on the same subject it substan-
TALLY repeated its provisions. The enlarge
ment of all wooden buildings at present erect
ed was to be discretionary with the Mayor and
Aldermen where it should be absolute in its
provisions. 1t seemed a little hard; many of
our citizens within the bounds indicated are
laboring men and it puts them to an addition
al expense.
Councilman Burleigh said in his opinion an
amendment forever prohibiting the erection of
any building of any kind in the city would be
quite as reasonable as the substitute proposed.
Many people who work in the centre of the
city are men of moderate means and would
like to live near their work. For himself, he
was ready to pay little extra insurance, pro-
vided his neighbor could have a home. He
had some idea of buying piece of property
within the district covered by the ordinance
and if he made up his mind to build he would
do SO regardless of any ordinance the city gov
eminent might pass. This has been done un-
der our present ordinance and will be done
again.
Councilman Woodbury. said he believed this
matter to be the most important one which
had come before the present city government.
We all desire to stop the fire iend, and if in
any way we can set bulwark to its progress
We OF course will be glad to do it. The ques-
ton arises whether action in the present case
/ is expedient. We have got over being viii
| lsge, and should adopt the methods of cities
Not only larger cities, but those of equal and
even less population than our own have SINH
lar ordinances. He had taken the trouble to
communicate with the cities of New Haven,
Worcester, Springfield and Manchester, and