The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-11-17
THE MAYOR AND ALDERMEN.
Special Meeting of the Board Yes
terday Afternoon.
Several Matters of Importance
Acted Upon.

A special meeting Of the Board of Mayor
and Aldermen was held yesterday afternoon
Mayor Chapman presided and Aldermen
Beale, Wilson, Mcmahon, Sawyer and
Marks were present.
THE swEETsIR BUILDING.
The Mayor stated that the meeting had
been called to take action ON report which
the building inspector, Mr.. G. II. GLOVES
would make respecting the new brick block
in course of erection on Congress street by
Mr.. A. ID. Sweetsir.
Mr.. Cloyes stated that the wall of the
three upper stories in the rear of the block
was being built of wood, while, in his opin-
ion the other walls are not strongly built.
Mr. Sweetsir was present and stated that
he supposed that if he covered the rear wall
with galvanized iron he had complied with
the requirements of the ordinance. He re-
garded his building as strong as any near it.
He had employed no architect
Alderman Marks stated that the commit
tee ON new wooden buildings had conferred
with the city solicitor and found that they
had no authority in the matter
Alderman Sawyer cited the ordinance gov
erning the erection of buildings within the
fire limits, and it was then moved that the
rear wall of the building be made to con-
form to the ordinance, which prohibits the
erection of buildings the exterior walls OF
which shall be either wholly or partly con-
structed of wood.
Mr. Sweetsir stated that the brick walls of
his building were one foot in thickness and
| cfa in aha ~
| timbers are provided with tie irons which are
fastened behind two thickneSses of brick
There is an iron girder across the front OF
the building.
Mr.. Sweetsir had no objections to having
his building examined. He stated that il
was to be leased 10 Mr.. Charles Day for use
as toy store.
1t was voted that the inspector of build.
ings be authorized to employ at the expense
OF the city an architect, a master mason and
master carpenter to examine the building
| 10 ascertain whether it is sufficiently strong
| for the purposes to which it is to be put and
to report to the building inspector.
STREET sPRINKLING.
A petition was received from the Street
SpriLkllng Company asking permission tt
lay a six inch iron pipe through Congress
street from point near North street tc
State street square, thence up Pine street tC
a point near the Butler school, with the priv
llege Of erecting six stand pipes for the pur.
pose OF filling the sprinkling carts at conven.
| lent intervals along this line. The cOmpa.
ny also asks for permission to relay their
pipes from Commercial street to the filling
| station on Cross street, and from there I'd
lay a line ofIpipe up Middle street to con-
meet with the Congress street line.
Mr.. Staples of the Street Sprinkling Com
pany explained that they found it impossible
to supply water for the streets in the ex-
IRENE ends OF the city at the rates people can
as requested in the petition, the demand for
| sprlnkling such streets could be COMPLIED
with, as there would then be no necessity fol
hauling the. water long distances. The stand
| pipes are intended to be of three or foul
| inch pipe, with tightly closing valve. and
will fill one of the carts in two minutes al
the outside.
Mr.. KeEnard said that the rates for water
ing the streets are compiled according to the
number of times the street must be Watered
daily and the number of people there are 70
pay Tor 1t. MIR. Kennard further stated that
salt water is In every way better for water
ing streets than fresh water is.
Alderman Beale said that there might be
o5lecttion TO tearing up Congress street,
which Is paved street, and on which for a
part OF Its length is double line of horse
car track.
Mr.. Staples said that the stand-pipes could
| pe placed at points OFF the line of Congress
streeL, as Tor instance on Mountfort street
and Casco street, where there are places al
which no inconvenience would arise from
| the pipes.
| On motion of Alderman Sawyer, the mat.
ter was referred to special committee OF
hye, to be appointed by the chair, the Mayor
being one member. The committee as an.
pointed consists Of the Mayor and Alder
men Bcale, Wilson, Sawyer and Marks
OTHER MATTERS.
A petition from the Consolidated Electric
Light Company, through its general man.
ager, +. A Sawyer, for permission to place
line of ten poles for the support of wires
on the ssoutherly side of Congress street, be.
tween Market and Congress squares. was
received and notice of hearing ordered.
Inc petition OF J. II. Bailey for license as
auctioneer was granted.
Geo. ii. Currier, NJ. S. Gibson, Geo. RAN
kin and Thomas 0'Connor petitioned for
licenses to keep billiard halls, and the petit
report of the City Marshal
The Board then adjourned.