The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-08-22
M NICIPAL GOSSIP.
Some People Complain ofthe Streets
Both Ways.
THE RIVER IS THE PROBLEM. NOW
The Smell r"d Discoloratiou arc Dread ful
at Present-The Greater Part Laid to
Manufacturers' waste-The Committee
of the City Council Is At Work.

The streets OF PROVIDENCE are known
to be among the best in the country. This
Is true not oaly of the prominent thor
oughfares but of nearly all the bye streets.
Occasionally someone gets dissatisfied
with the condition OF a street and COM
plains As soon as the superintendent
puts his men to work and they tear it up
the man complains again because the
street Is not in good condition for pass
he complains again on the theory that it
cost too much to fix it.
A man was saying the other day that
he made comparison between the streets
Of this city and those of New York On
West Thirty fourth street in New York,
the paving stones are broken, the str eet
is ragged and full of hollows. whe re
water stands and almost impossible for
carriages.
WEES Thirty-fourth is prominent
street and there are many more like it in
New York, but there isn't q street i'm the
city OF PROVIDENCE in any such condition.
Some of the streets will be better when
they have been rebuilt and the city is do
ing that work as rapidly as the appro-
priations and time allow, but when any
one gets the idea that our streets are
bad he ought to go and see what they
have elsewhere.
The most important problem on the
hands OF the city government. at present
seems to be the removal OF the cause of
pollution of the river. The smell grows
worse all the time, and from Eagle street
down to Fox Point 1t is simply fearful
At the Continental Steamboat wharf the
boats stir up an awful stencil every time
they come up or go down the river and the
open Canal above the Crawford street
bridge is disgraceful, but nobody can help
1t with the present conditions staring us
in the face. All the factories which line
the river banks above the bridge empty
waste into the stream including
dye stuffs, wool washings and other nau-
seous matter.
The public works people say that the
greater part OF the defilement is due to
this, the coloring coming from the dye
works and the smell from the wool wash
ings. This is very likely correct, but any
one who chooses and can stand the smell
may see such miXture Of matter in the
open river that would puzzle college Of
chemists.
There are sewers emptyina in at Point,
Elm, Dorrance and Westminster streets
on the west side. and at Pike, Crawford,
North Main and Amos streets The
Mosshassuck river receives sewers at
Smith, Charles, stevens aud Livingstone
and the Woonasquatucket ut Holden.
Park, Acorn and Eagle, and there are
various other small iniets.
Various attempts at disposing OF waste
have shown that it can be done by pri-
vate corporations aud cities, and at some
profit at least.
The committee on manufacturers
waste appointed by the city council some
two or three years ago, or more, has
been working on the problem, and. as has
often been stated, has visited number Of
cities and examined the methods of dispo-
sitiou of water.
Commissioner of Public Works Smith
said to-day that he understood that the
committee was making good progress,
and that the matter would soon come up
in some definite form in the city council.
George l.. Vose chairman OF tho COM
mittee on manufacturers' waste, said to-
day that the committee had got things in
good shape. Mr.. Shedd had the latest re-
ports from Europe aud the committees
report would be put in at an early session
of the council. The committee, he said,
realized the condition Of the river, and
knew just what was the matter.
III the city council voted to remedy the
matter IL would take no more than six
mouths to start the necessary plant or to
allow the parties making the waste to ar
range TO dispose OF IL, so that IT. really
does begin To look as IL there was chance
of sonnet hing better next summer.